Police Says Army Personnel Routinely Used To Sit Near Explosion Site; School Building Suffers Damage
Srinagar, Jan 27 (GNS): An army soldier was killed and three others were injured in an Improvised Explosive Device blast triggered by militants along Jammu-Srinagar highway near Kulgam in south Kashmir on Wednesday, officials said.
A police spokesperson said the IED blast took place at Government Middle School Subhanpora area of Kulgam at about 1015 hours.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that a rudimentary IED with a low powered explosive and ball bearings was planted in an abandoned building inside the school premises, where the Army personnel used to visit on routine basis,” the spokesperson said. The IED was probably planted by militants during the night hours, he said.
In the blast, he said, four soldiers of army’s 24RR sustained injuries and were evacuated to nearby hospital for the treatment. Among the injured one Army soldier succumbed to his injuries.
Accordingly, he said, a case FIR No. 05/2021 under relevant sections of law has been registered in Police Station Qaimoh. “Investigation is in progress and officers continue to work to establish the full circumstances of this incident,” he said, adding, “Area has been cordoned and search in the area is going on.”
Sources told GNS that that the school building also suffered substantial damage in the blast.
This was the first fatal attack carried by the militants this year.
Earlier, army in a statement said that it was a grenade blast in which four soldiers were injured. “(Militants) lobbed grenade on Army’s Road Opening Party during the sanitisation drill at 1015 hours today in general area Shamshipura, Khanabal, Kulgam. Four soldiers sustained splinter injuries and were provided first aid and later evacuated to 92 Base Hospital,” Col Rajesh Kalia, the spokesman of the army, said. (GNS)
