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Three soldiers killed, 23 wounded in J&K violence

Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar

Three army soldiers were killed, and 23 securitymen were wounded in a string of explosions and firing in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday.

Militants also gunned down a ruling National Conference block president at Maisuma in uptown Srinagar on Thursday afternoon.

Police said a group of heavily armed militants ambushed a passing army convoy on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway on Thursday morning near Nowgam Banihal, resulting in on the spot death of two soldiers, while seven others including a junior commissioned officer received serious bullet injuries in the heavy firing.

The police sources said the militants hurled grenades and opened heavy fire from automatic weapons on the convoy.

The escorts of the convoy immediately took positions and returned the fire. The firing exchange continued for an hour.

The critically injured soldiers had to be airlifted to the Northern Command hospital in Udhampur.

Militants also set off two landmines at village Chake Arsalan Bandipore in north Kashmir on Thursday afternoon resulting in on the spot death of a soldier.

Eleven armymen were wounded.

Nine soldiers had to be shifted to base hospital in Srinagar for treatment. Army sources said two army vehicles were damaged.

The police also said militants opened fire on an army convoy with assault rifles.

The sources added that 15 houses and cowsheds were destroyed in a blaze that started during the gun battle. Locals, however, alleged the fire was started by the troops.

At Pethkote Bandipore, an officer of the paramilitary Border Security Force and a soldier were wounded in another mine blast. The vehicle was also extensively damaged.

Elsewhere in the state, 3 armymen were wounded, when militants opened fire on a passing army convoy near Khumriyal in the Kupwara district.

The injured were shifted to hospital.

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