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Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar
Two armymen were killed and 15 soldiers wounded on Wednesday in a militant ambush at village Nipora Vessu on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway, which is also the route for the Amarnath yatra pilgrims.
Police sources said that the militants attacked a heavily escorted army convoy with grenades and automatic weapons resulting in death of an army Naib Subedar Vijay Kumar and Sepoy Rajinder on the spot.
12 armymen and three members of the paramilitary Indo Tibetan Border Police received serious injuries.
The injured soldiers had to be airlifted to the base hospital at Badami Bagh in Srinagar for specialised treatment. Condition of ten soldiers is reported to be critical.
Lashkar-e-Tayiba has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Abu Osama the chief spokesman of the Lashkar told local papers that 'today's attack was part of a new strategy wherein the fidayeens (suicide squad) attack army convoy on the highways.'
He said a two-member suicide squad attacked the convoy with automatic weapons and later managed their escape.
The attack on the convoy came hours after Lashkar-e-Tayiba rejected an appeal by Pakistan based Jamait-e-Ulema-e-Islam chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman to desist from militant activities in the wake of the Indo-Pak talks.
The attack on the convoy on the strategic Srinagar-Jammu National highway assumes significance, as it is the only route for the cave shrine of Amarnath. The state government has decided to review the security arrangements along the route.
The route is presently being used by thousands of pilgrims.
Senior army and police officials who rushed to Vessu after the militant attack ordered massive searches in the entire village. Due to the massive operation hundreds of vehicles including those carrying pilgrims remained stranded for several hours. Police said several persons were taken into custody for questioning.
Meanwhile, 4732 more pilgrims arrived in base camp at Pahalgam on Wednesday. With their arrival the total number of Amarnath yatris who arrived in Pahalgam has gone upto 10,126.
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