Srinagar
At least five Border Security Force men were injured in a militant attack at Panthachowk on the outskirts of the city this evening. In another incident a few hours earlier, three militants were arrested on the outskirts of Srinagar.

Militants opened fire upon one of the two BSF vehicles heading from the Humhama frontier headquarters of the force to the Panthachowk camp. “ A Tata 407 vehicle was barely 50 metres away from its camp when militants opened indiscriminate fire on it from a narrow lane. Five BSF jawans were injured in the attack,” a security official said. “The injured have received bullets below their chests.”

No militant group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack. However, the militants suspected to be two in number managed to flee from the spot taking advantage of the darkness.

The BSF in J&K is not involved in anti-militancy operations. However, they are deployed on the Line of Control, where they work under the administrative control of the Army.

The attack on the BSF vehicle took place hours after three militants were arrested, one among them in an injured condition, after a brief shootout on the outskirts of Srinagar around 3 pm.

The police said militants were travelling in a vehicle and they jumped a police checkpoint near Umarabad Narbal on the Srinagar-Baramulla highway.

“A naka was set as there were some inputs (about militant movement). A car coming towards Srinagar was asked to stop, but it jumped the checkpoint. Militants opened fire on the forces and after a brief shootout, three militants were arrested. One among them got injured in the firing,” said Deputy Inspector General of Central Kashmir Range Virdi Kumar Birdi.

“A large quantity of arms and ammunition was recovered from the car,” the DIG said, adding that the investigation had started. He, however, did not disclose the identity of the three militants.