Srinagar, March 20
Militants of the Hizbul Mujahideen today blasted an Army vehicle with an improvised explosive device planted in a scooter parked on the roadside in Baramulla district of north Kashmir killing two Army jawans and injuring 41, six of them seriously.
Official sources said the IED planted in the stationery scooter was detonated by the ultras with remote control at 11 am when the Army convoy was on way to Bandipora from Sopore. One of the vehicles carrying troops of Rashtriya Rifles (five sector) caught fire killing two jawans and critically injuring six.
The vehicle, a civilian bus, was hired by the Army, they said adding the fire in the bus was later doused by the troopers.
The sources said the civilians injured in the explosion were the driver and the conductor of the vehicle. They were identified as Farooq Ahmad Teli and Mohammad Yousuf Khan. Their condition was stated to be critical.
However, a spokesman of Srinagar-based 15 Corp denied that there were any deaths but admitted that 10 soldiers were critically injured while 30 suffered minor injuries in the explosion.
The seriously injured jawans and civilians were airlifted to the base hospital of the Army here, the spokesman said adding that others were discharged after first aid.
He said the entire area was sealed off immediately after the blast.
Earlier, a defence spokesman had said the IED, detonated by the militants, was planted on the main road.
One militant of Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit was killed in an encounter with security forces at Kokernag in Anantnag district of south Kashmir. One AK rifle, two magazines, 50 rounds, one pistol, 10 detonators and one kg of RDX were recovered from the site of encounter.
A Pak militant identified as Dr Saleem Sajad alias Qadir was killed in an encounter with the security forces near Shopian in Pulwama district yesterday.
The police today recovered the body of an unidentified person at Rajpora in Pulwama district.
Militants made an abortive attempt on the life of a former National Conference minister by attacking his motorcade in Jammu and Kashmir.
Former Finance Minister and senior National Conference leader Abdul Rahim Rather had a narrow escape when militants hurled grenades and opened fire on his motorcade in his home town of Bandipora in Badgam district of Central Kashmir today, the sources said.
His security guards fired in retaliation and repulsed the attack which took place around 4.15 pm when Rather was returning to Srinagar after attending a condolence meeting, the sources said.
A police spokesman said two unidentified militants were killed by the security forces at Dharosh forest in Doda district of Jammu region today. Two AK assault rifles, a pistol, 15 magazines and five grenades were recovered from them.
