Srinagar: A terrorist opened fire on a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) checkpost near Mir Bazaar in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Wednesday, injuring three personnel, police said.
The attack occurred around 2.15pm, while the jawans were on guard duty.
The assailant escaped immediately after the shooting, prompting security forces to launch a search operation and cordon off the area.
The injured personnel were initially evacuated to a hospital in neighbouring Anantnag district. One official, who sustained critical gunshot wounds to the abdomen, was later airlifted to Srinagar, where doctors reported his condition as stable. The other two personnel suffered non-life-threatening injuries—one received a bullet graze to the arm, and the other was shot in the foot.
Following the attack, security forces deployed reinforcements and armoured vehicles, established extra checkpoints, and issued loudspeaker notices directing local residents to stay indoors.
Jammu and Kashmir lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha was visiting Kulgam district on Wednesday, though officials confirmed he was not near the site of the shooting.
Wednesday’s attack marks the third terror incident in the region over the past five months and the second specifically targeting security personnel.
On July 22, head constable Ashiq Hussain Qureshi (IR 3rd Battalion) was killed at Lal Chowk in Anantnag town while deployed on Amarnath Yatra duty.
On July 31, terrorists shot two non-local brick-kiln workers in Kilam village, Kulgam, killing one worker from Chhattisgarh and injuring another.
Addressing security along the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, Kashmir inspector general of police (IGP) Sujit Kumar recently said that threat inputs remain active and security protocols along key transit corridors have been designed around past highway attacks.
Kumar said that tracking the exact number of terrorists is difficult due to their transitory movement. “There is one local terrorist who has orchestrated attacks in Anantnag and Kulgam, supported by a few foreign terrorists. Tracing them is underway, but fixing a specific number would be an exaggeration,” he said.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti condemned the attack, saying there is no room for violence in society.
Jammu and Kashmir BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur called the shooting at Akhran an attempt to disturb peace, urging police to identify the perpetrators swiftly and take firm legal action.
Mir Ehsan has reported from Kashmir for the past more than 20 years. He is an assistant editor and bureau chief of HT in Kashmir since 2018. Before that he was associated with Indian Express. He has extensively covered Kashmir politics, militancy and developmental issues. He is also a recipient of Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award in 2005.Read More