KULGAM – Three Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were wounded on Wednesday when two motorcycle-borne gunmen opened fire on a security checkpoint near Mir Bazar in Kulgam district of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, according to Indian officials and news agencies.
The attack took place at about 2:15 pm Indian time (1:45 pm Pakistan time), and the attackers fled the scene after firing, officials told the Press Trust of India. One of the wounded is reported to be in critical condition with abdominal injuries, while the other two have relatively minor injuries. An official told IANS that the injured belong to the 46th Battalion and were taken to a hospital in Anantnag.
The army, CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir Police have cordoned off the area and started a search operation. Some early reports said two personnel were hurt, but PTI and IANS later put the number at three.
The CRPF described the attackers as unidentified. No group has claimed responsibility in the reports reviewed, and the attackers’ identity, affiliation and motive have not been officially established.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha was in Kulgam at the time but not near the site, PTI reported. IANS described this as the first attack in the district since 31 July, when two labourers were killed.
Some retired security officials speaking on Indian television alleged a Pakistan link. No Indian official statement or police report in the coverage reviewed names Pakistan or offers evidence of such a link. HTN World found no official response from Islamabad.
