- Major, Lt Col among 5 troopers injured
- Woman dies after being hit by stray bullet during cross fire
- Docs flown from AIIMS to attend to injured army men
- Locals accuse army of going berserk after the attack
- Hizb owns attacks
At least three army men were killed and five others including a Lt Colonel and Major injured when militants of Hizbul Mujahideen attacked their patrol party in Shopian district of South Kashmir on Thursday.
A woman was also killed after being hit by a stray bullet inside her house during the cross-fire.
A police officer said militants ambushed a patrol party of army’s 44 Rashtria Rifles in Mool Cztiragam village of Shopian district at around 2 am.
“The patrol party was on its way back to the base after conducting a cordon and search operation in Kangnoo village of Shopian district when it came under heavy fire from militants near Mool-Czitragam village,” he said.
The army men, he said, also retaliated and the exchange of fire continued for some time. “After the encounter, militants managed to escape”.
Eight army men sustained injuries during the exchange of fire. Three of the injured succumbed to injuries on spot while five others were shifted to army’s base hospital in Srinagar for specialized treatment.
The slain army men were identified as Sreejit MJ of Kerala, Vikas Kumar of Karouli, Rajasthan and Ghulam Muhammad Rather of Bijbehara, Anantnag J&K.
The injured army men include Lt Col Mukesh Jha, Major Amardeep Singh, Surendra Kumar, Sumer Singh and Ajay Pal.
According to sources, condition of Major Singh is critical. “He has sustained injuries in head”.
They said a team of doctors has been flown in from AIIMS, Delhi to attend to the injured army men.
The police official said a woman identified as Taja Begum, wife of Ghulam Muhammad Mir was hit by a stray bullet in her house during the cross fire.
“She had probably gone up to the window to figure out what was going on outside when she got hit by a bullet and died on spot,” he said.
Reports said army men were travelling in private (Tata Sumo) vehicles when they came under militant attack.
Defence spokesperson, Colonel Rajesh Kalia, however, said the army men were travelling in army vehicles.
After the militant attack, army, police and paramilitary personnel rushed to the spot and launched a joint combing and search operation to track the militants responsible for the ambush.
However, no arrests were reported during the hour long operation.
The villagers alleged that during the operation, troops damaged dozens of parked vehicles and window panes of many residential houses.
Defence spokesperson, however, refuted the allegations.
Meanwhile, the militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen claimed responsibility of the attack.
In a telephonic statement to a local news gathering agency KNS, Hizb operation spokesperson, Burhan-ud-Din, said militants of the outfit carried out the attack.
He said five army men were killed and seven injured in the attack.
The spokesman said outfit’s Deputy Chief Peer Saifullah Khalid and Mehmood Ghaznawi have congratulated the militants for carrying out successful attack on army party.
