2 militants killed, soldier, civilian injured after attack on army convoy on Kashmir highway

Srinagar: Two militants were killed in an encounter which ensued Monday afternoon after two militants got trapped in a house during an attack by them on an army convoy by Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) on Srinagar-Jammu national highway in Kulgam district on Monday afternoon. An army man and a civilian, according to official sources, were injured in the attack. The LeT has also claimed responsibility for the attack on Army convoy.
Official sources Monday evening said that the house from where the militants were firing was blasted by the government forces and firing has stopped. Director General of Police (DGP) DR S P Vaid said bodies of two militants have been recovered and search operation was still going on. Taking to microblogging site twitter Dr Vaid said “Two dead bodies of terrorists recovered. Search still on”.
Early reports said that militants Monday afternoon attacked an Army convoy on way from Jammu to Srinagar, at Bonigam at Qazigund. “ An army man was injured in the attack. The injured was rushed to a hospital,” they said.
After the attack, officials sources said the militants tried to escape from the spot but were trapped inside a nearby house. However, when militants were asked to surrender, they opened fired on the government forces who retaliated triggering an encounter, sources said.
They said government forces blasted the house in which militants were hiding after attacking the army convoy on the highway, disrupted traffic for several hours.
Meanwhile, people, mostly youths hit the streets, trying to disrupt the search operation in the area. However, government forces used force to disperse the demonstrators who were pelting stones and attempting to enter the area.
Meanwhile militant outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba has claimed that responsibility of the attack carried out on army convoy on Srinagar-Jammu highway near Bonigam this afternoon.
Dr Abdullah Ghaznavi, the outfit spokesperson in a statement to local news gathering agency CNS said that the attack on army convoy was carried out by Bashir Lashkari Shaheed Squad. “At least 4 army men were killed and several others injured,” he added.