Three BSF troopers killed, 11 injured in attack on convoy in Kashmir's Bijbehara

Srinagar: Three BSF troopers were killed and 11 others, including three civilians, were injured on Friday in a guerrilla attack at a security forces convoy in south Kashmir’s Bijbehara town, police sources said. According to CNN News18, Hizb-ul-Mujahideen claimed responsibility for the attack.

The BSF convoy comprising 23 vehicles was coming from Jammu to Srinagar ferrying jawans who were returning to join their duties after their leave.

Following the attack, heavy exchange of fire was underway in the town situated on the 300-km Jammu-Srinagar National Highway No 1A, according to eyewitness.

The injured BSF troopers have been shifted to a Srinagar hospital, the police sources added.

Officials said that three BSF personnel identified as Head Constable Girish Kumar Shukla, Constable Mahinder Ram and Havaldar Dinesh were killed while four others were injured in the incident which took place at 4.30 pm near a government hospital, 52 kms from Srinagar.

The attackers were holed up inside the government sub-district hospital building.

The eyewitness said security forces immediately cordoned off the area after the attack which sparked panic in the area. Traffic on the busy national highway was also suspended.

The attack comes 10 days after the Hizbul Mujahideen had killed three policemen in two separate incidents in Srinagar city. They had threatened to carry out similar attacks.

BSF convoys have often been the target of terrorist groups. Last year in August, a BSF convoy was attacked by Lashker-e-Taiba terrorists at Udhampur in which two of its personnel and a terrorist were killed.

Another terrorist Mohammed Naveed was captured alive after the terror strike.