Soldier, civilian killed in militant attack on Army camp in J&K's Pulwama

Srinagar: An Army jawan and a civilian were killed in a militant attack on an Army camp in Jammu and Kashmir's southern Pulwama district and troops' retaliatory fire late Sunday night.

This is first deadly attack carried out by militants against the Army after the government announced a conditional ceasefire halting counterinsurgency operations in the restive state for Muslim fasting month of Ramzan on May 16.

The Army and police officials said that a group of militants targetted a camp of Army's 50 Rashtriya Rifles in Kakapora area of Pulwama at around 10.30 pm. The Army returned the fire and the exchange continued for some time, Pulwama's SSP Muhammad Aslam Choudhary said.

An Army jawan and a civilian were injured, he said adding that both were rushed to hospital.

The reinforcements from the Army along with J&K police and the CRPF launched a hunt for the assailants, the police said. Latest reports from Pulwama said that both Army jawan and the civilian have succumbed to their injuries.

Defence spokesman Col N.N. Joshi said, "In a cowardly and provocative act of terror, terrorists carried out a stand-off attack on Kakapora Army Camp. One soldier has been martyred. Retaliatory action is going on".

The slain civilian has been identified as Bilal Ahmed Ganai, a Sumo cab driver. He was found critically injured in his vehicle near the site of encounter, the police said adding that he was rushed to hospital but he died soon.