A civilian driver killed, two soldiers injured in militant attack

Srinagar/May,4: A civilian driver was reportedly killed and two Army soldiers were injured in a militant attack in south Kashmir district of Shopian, where a massive search operation was conducted Thursday.Meanwhile Hizb ul Mujahideen has in a tele statement to a local news gathering agency claimed the responsibility for the attack
Though  it was not immediately clear whether the Army party attacked at village Killoora in Shopian was a part of the search operation which concluded after no contact was established with militants Thursday evening, but official sources said a group of personnel of 62 Rashtriya Rifles (RR), travelling in a private vehicle, was ambushed at village Killoora Thursday evening.
The security forces also retaliated ensuing an encounter, they said, adding two Army personnel and driver of the vehicle were injured in the initial exchange of fire.
Officials said driver identified as Nazir Ahmad Sheikh, son of Ahad Sheikh, resident of Kachdoora village later succumbed on way to hospital, they said. Additional forces have been rushed to the area from nearby camps and a search operation has been launched.
The attack comes after forces called off the large-scale search operation, which was launched early this morning in over two-dozen villages and woods in south Kashmir in view of surge in militant activities during the last over four months.
Meanwhile Hizb-ul-Mujahideen Thursday claimed the responsibility of the attack on army in South Kashmir’s Shopian District. In a tete-statement to local news gathering agency KNS, Hizb Spokesman Burhan-u-din said that following the crackdown in Shopian by Army, “our militants attacked them In which they suffered damage