SRINAGAR : A soldier attains martyrdom and three others of Army Road Opening Party (ROP) were injured when militant triggered an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in south Kashmir district of Kulgam on Wednesday, official sources said.
However, Defence Ministry spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said initial reports said it was a grenade attack on Army’s ROP during the sanitization drill at 1025 hrs today in general area Shahshipora, Khanabal, in Kulgam.
Sources said that militants detonated an IED planted on the main road near a private school at Shamshipora in Kulgam district when a ROP was passing the area. They said ROP is responsible for conducting morning searches of the road which is later used by security force and civilian traffic during the day.
They said four soldiers were injured in the blast, sound of which was heard in the entire area. Window panes of school were also damaged due to the impact of the blast, they said.
Sources said the injured soldiers were evacuated to 92 Base hospital at the headquarters of 15 Corps, where one of them succumbed.
They said the condition of another soldier is also serious while two others are stable.
Meanwhile, troops of Rashtriya Rifles, Special Operation Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir police and CRPF were immediately rushed to the area from nearby camps, they said, adding that the injured were rushed to hospital.
The entire has been cordoned off and a massive search operation has been launched to nab the militants responsible for the attack, first in 2021. (agencies)
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