Hizb Attack on BSF Convoy, Seven Injured

SRINAGAR: Seven Border Security Force (BSF) troopers, including an officer, were injured in an attack by suspected militants in Pampore area of south Kashmir's Pulwama District.

Police officials said that that a group of 3-4 militants attacked the BSF convoy on the busy Srinagar -Jammu Highway when the troopers were travelling from Pahalgam to the BSF headquarters Pantha after a month long yatra duty at Chandanwari along the Amarnath cave shrine.

The BSF personnel, who sustained injuries, have been identified as Assistant Commandant Bishan Lal, Head Constables Manoj and Amarpal Singh and constables Sunny Kumar, Vijay Kumar, Saurabh Mukhopadhyaya and PN Barde. All of them were instantly shifted to army's Badami Bagh hospital for treatment. However the condition of the injured BSF officer, who has been operated twice, is said to be serious.

Soon after the attack the Army, SOG and CRPF personnel laid a cordon around the area and started a manhunt to nab the militants.

Meanwhile, Pakistan based militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen has owned responsibility for the Pampore attack claiming that heavy damage was done to the troops.

In a statement issued to a local news agency in Kashmir, Hizb's Operational Spokesperson Baleeg-ud-Din said the outfit's "highway squad attacked and inflicted heavy damage on the BSF troopers before returning safely to their destination."

"The attack was carried out in wake of Prime Minister of India's visit to Jammu and Kashmir. Whenever any Prime Minister of India will visit our land for inaugurating railways, bridges and dams, our mujahideen will welcome him with bullets," the spokesman added.