Three employees of the government-run telecom operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited franchise were shot at in a militant attack in north Kashmir’s apple-rich Sopore town on Monday morning. Hours later, an army jawan was injured by militants in another attack in Kulgam.
In the first attack, one of the three employees, Mohammed Rafique, who was critically wounded in the attack succumbed to his injuries a few hours later. All the three employees were hospitalised in Srinagar.
A senior police officer said militants shot at the three employees who were standing just outside the BSNL franchise near the main bus stand at Iqbal Market in Sopore town.
"One of the injured, Mohammad Rafiq (26), a resident of Handwara area of Kupwara district, succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. The two injured, Ghulam Mohammad Bhat (40) and Imtiyaz Ahmad Lone (30), both residents of Sopore township, were being treated upon," the officer said Police rushed to the spot and the area has been cordoned off. No group has yet owned responsibility for the attack.
For nearly a month, militants have been threatening various cellular companies to stop their operations in the town resulting in closure of some of the outlets
Monday's attack came a day after suspected ultras had hurled a grenade at a residential compound where a mobile transmission tower was installed. Although officials were tight-lipped as to why the militants were targeting telecom installations, sources said the ultras were upset about "theft" of their communication equipment from mobile transmission towers in Sopore and surrounding areas earlier this month. The militants had allegedly installed communication equipment atop the towers of private and PSU companies.
In the second terror attack in the state, Monday afternoon, an army jawan was critically injured by militants in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district. One militant has also been killed.
A senior police officer said militants opened fire at a patrol of the counter insurgency force Rashtriya Rifles at Yaripora in Kulgam distcict injuring the trooper. He was immediately evacuated to hospital for treatment and reinforcements rushed to the area. A search is on for the other militants.
-- With inputs from PTI
