Three Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were injured, one critically, when motorcycle-borne attackers opened fire on a security checkpoint in Kulgam district, Jammu and Kashmir, on Wednesday afternoon.
The attack took place at about 2.15pm local time at a CRPF checkpoint in Akhran, near Mir Bazar, officials said. The attackers fired on personnel of the force’s 46th Battalion before fleeing the scene. CCTV footage of the incident has since surfaced, reportedly capturing more than 30 rounds fired in about 15 seconds.
The three injured men were identified as Head Constable Somveer Singh and Constables Rakesh Dass and Santosh Chandru. They were first taken to a hospital in Anantnag district for treatment. One of them, who suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen, was later airlifted to Srinagar, where medical staff described his condition as stable. The other two suffered less serious injuries, one a grazing wound to the arm and the other a gunshot wound to the foot.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Some reports have suggested a possible link to The Resistance Front, a group believed to be associated with Lashkar-e-Taiba, but that claim has not been officially confirmed and should be treated as unverified.
Security forces, including the Army, the CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir Police, cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to trace the attackers. Reinforcements, including armoured vehicles, were deployed, additional checkpoints were set up, and residents were advised through loudspeaker announcements to remain indoors while the operation continued.
Officials confirmed that Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha was in Kulgam district at the time of the attack, though he was not near the Mir Bazar checkpoint.
The incident is the third terror-related event in the region in the last five months and the second to specifically target security personnel. A head constable was killed in Anantnag on 22 July, and a non-local worker was killed in Kilam village on 31 July. Police have said security along the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway remains heightened because of active threat intelligence.
Political leaders condemned the shooting. Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti said violence had no place in society, while Jammu and Kashmir BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur described it as a deliberate attempt to disrupt regional peace and called for swift legal action against those responsible.
Sources: Mirror Now (https://www.mirrornow.in/chandigarh-news/three-crpf-personnel-injured-in-terror-attack-kulgam-article-156494873) and The Daily Jagran (https://www.thedailyjagran.com/india/news/jammu-kashmir-terror-attack-crpf-personnel-injured-as-assailants-open-fire-at-checkpoint-in-kulgam-district-srinagar-anantnag-latest-news-10335922), both reporting PTI. Note: the reported link to The Resistance Front is unconfirmed, and some details rest on official accounts reported by PTI.
File photo: Central Reserve Police Force personnel at a camp in Anantnag district, Jammu and Kashmir. This is a file photo, not a photograph of the attack scene.
