Srinagar: Two porters working with the Army were killed on Thursday while four people, including three soldiers, were injured as terrorists attacked a vehicle of the force six kilometres from tourist hotspot Gulmarg in north Kashmir, officials said here.
They said the terrorists opened fire on the Army vehicle in the Botapathri area in the evening, when it was headed for the Nagin post in the Afrawat range.
Citing initial reports, the officials said two porters were killed while another porter and three soldiers were injured.
The condition of two of the injured soldiers was stated to be critical and additional troops have been rushed to the area, they said.
Local news agency KNO, however, reported that two porters and two army soldiers were killed in the terrorist attack while three others sustained injuries. Some reports suggested death of three porters. The details were unclear and still pouring in while this report was being written.
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 said in a post on X, “A brief firefight took place between #IndianArmy and terrorists in general area Bota Pathri, #Baramulla.”
“Details are being ascertained,” it said.
The area is completely dominated by the Army and there have been reports in the past that a terrorist group had infiltrated during early summer and taken shelter in the higher reaches of the Afrawat range, the officials said.
The Botapathri area was recently opened to tourists.
Meanwhile Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha directed security forces to give a swift and befitting response to the terrorists who attacked an Army vehicle in Gulmarg and killed two porters.
The terrorists opened fire on the vehicle in the Bota Pathri area, six kilometres from tourist hotspot Gulmarg in north Kashmir, in the evening, when it was headed for the Nagin post in the Afrawat range. Another porter and three soldiers were injured in the attack.
Sinha said the sacrifice of the martyrs will not go in vain.
“Spoke to top army officials on heinous terror attack in Bota Pathri Sector. Directed for swift and befitting reply to neutralise terrorists. Operation in progress. Sacrifice of our martyrs will not go in vain. Condolences to their families. Praying for speedy recovery of injured,” the LG said in a post on X.
