3 jawans injured * Terrorist group Hizbul Mujahideen claims responsibility, says it was to protest PM Modi’s visit to J&K
At least three soldiers were injured on Saturday after terrorists opened fire on an army convoy at Bemina Bypass - a strategic Srinagar-Muzaffarabad highway - in broad daylight.
The terrorists ambushed the convoy when it was on its way to Srinagar from the frontier town of Uri in north Kashmir's Baramulla district. The terrorists attacked the convoy near the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences Medical College (SKIMS) and targeted one of the vehicles injuring at least three soldiers. The injured are being treated in Army's 92 Base Hospital where their condition is reportedly stable.
The troops retaliated the fire and reinforcements were immediately sent to the area to track down the attackers but the terrorists managed to escape.
"There was firing on an army convoy in Bemina on Saturday. Three soldiers have been injured. They have been evacuated to the base hospital where they are under treatment", said Colonel Rajesh Kalia, Defence Spokesman of Srinagar.
"The army exercised maximum restraint in handling the situation to avoid any civilian casualties and collateral damage", said Colonel Kalia.
According to a police official, no casualties have been reported in the attack.
Minutes before the attack, gunshots were heard in the city centre at Lal Chowk triggering panic when a mentally-challenged man wearing a mask barged into a local hotel and locked himself in one of the rooms. Cops had reportedly fired a few rounds in the air to disperse the crowd from outside the hotel.
Soon after the man was arrested and was being taken by the security personnel, people raised pro-freedom slogans and started pelting stones at the personnel in support of the accused.
Shopkeepers also downed their shutters and traffic came to standstill. Cops lathi-charged and fired smoke shells to disperse the mob. Maisuma, Budshah Chowk, Abdullah Bridge and adjacent areas of Lal Chowk seared in tension hours after the attack.
The incidents occurred at a time when security is at maximum alert across Jammu and Kashmir following the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Udhampur on Sunday.
Multi-layer security arrangements have been made to ensure smooth and successful visit of the Prime Minister. "Intelligence grid has also been activated to gather information about activities of inimical elements and inputs are discussed with other sister agencies," an official spokesman said.
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