Srinagar: A massive search operation is underway in the Bota Pathri area of Baramulla district in north Kashmir, following a Friday evening ambush that claimed the lives of two soldiers and two civilian porters working with the Army. The attack also left three soldiers injured.
The ambush occurred near the Line of Control in the Nagin Dhok Bota Pathri area of Gulmarg, targeting a convoy of Rashtriya Rifles unit.
While the identities of the soldiers have not yet been confirmed, the civilian porters have been identified as Mushtaq Ahmad and Zahoor Ahmad, both residents of Boniyar in Baramulla district.
Officials said following the attack, a large-scale search operation was initiated by security forces to neutralize the attackers which is still underway. Additional forces were also deployed in the area to track the militants involved in the ambush.
The operation to secure the area is ongoing, they said.
Officials said that three soldiers injured in the attack were promptly evacuated for medical treatment.
The attack took place just hours after Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha chaired a Unified Headquarters (UHQ) meeting in Srinagar to review security, following a series of recent attacks. The meeting was attended by top security and intelligence officers.
An official spokesman late Friday said that LG Sinha spoke with top officials from the Army, J&K Police, and the Administration, directing them to deliver a swift and fitting response to neutralize the terrorists. He also instructed the Deputy Commissioner of Baramulla to extend all possible assistance to the families of the martyred civilian porters.