24 October,2024 10:44 PM IST | Srinagar | mid-day online correspondent
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Two porters working with the armed forces were killed, while four others, including three soldiers, sustained injuries in a terrorist attack on an Army vehicle near the tourist hotspot of Gulmarg in north Kashmir on Thursday, officials reported.
The incident occurred in the Bota Pathri area during the evening when the Army vehicle was en route to the Nagin post in the Afrawat range in Jammu-Kashmir, reported news agency PTI. According to initial reports, the attack involved armed terrorists who opened fire on the vehicle, resulting in the deaths of two porters.
In addition, another porter and three soldiers were injured, with the condition of two of the injured soldiers reported as critical. As a precaution, additional troops were dispatched to the area to provide support and secure the vicinity.
The officials said the soldiers who were in the vehicle opened retaliatory fire when they came under attack. The Army's Srinagar-based Chinar Corps confirmed the confrontation, on social media X, stating"A brief firefight took place between #IndianArmy and terrorists in general area Bota Pathri, #Baramulla. Details are being ascertained."
The Bota Pathri area in Jammu-Kashmir is known to be heavily monitored by the Army, which has successfully maintained a strong presence in the region, reported PTI. However, there have been previous reports suggesting that a terrorist group infiltrated the area during summer and took refuge in the higher reaches of the Afrawat range. The Bota Pathri area was recently opened to tourists.
Jammu-Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed his deep concern regarding the recent surge in attacks within the Valley. He also highlighted the increasing frequency of violence, stating, "This recent spate of attacks in Kashmir is a matter of serious concern. I condemn this attack in the strongest possible terms and send my condolences to the loved ones of the people who lost their lives. I also pray that the injured make a complete and swift recovery," he said.
Former chief minister and People's Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti also condemned the attack.
"Shocked and deeply saddened by the militant attack on an Army convoy in Baramulla in which a civilian porter was killed. Condemn it unequivocally and pray for the swift recovery of the injured soldiers," she posted on X.
The attack on the Army vehicle comes amid a spike in terror incidents in the Valley.
In a deadly attack on October 20, six non-local labourers and a local doctor were killed when terrorists fired indiscriminately upon them at the Z-Morh tunnel construction site in the Gagangir area of central Kashmir's Ganderbal district.
Two days before that incident, a labourer from Bihar was shot dead by terrorists in Shopian district of Jammu-Kashmir.
Earlier on Thursday, terrorists shot at and injured a labourer from Uttar Pradesh, Shubam Kumar, in the Tral area of Pulwama district.
(With PTI inputs)
