Atleast nine army men were wounded in a powerful Improvised Explosive Device (IED)blast at Aarihal village in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Monday evening,reports said.
A police official said that around 06:00 pm militants triggered an IED in Arihal when a vehicle of 44 RR was passing from there, causing injuries to at least nine soldiers.
Soonafter the blast, militants fired upon the vehicle, the official said, addingthat the army men also returned the fire. “Initial reports reveal that thevehicle suffered extensive damage,” the official added.
Theinjured army men, according to the official, were immediately rushed to Army’s92 base hospital in Srinagar. Three among the injured soldiers are stated to beserious, reported news agency GNS quoting its sources.
Localresidents said that they heard a loud bang of the blast followed by firing,which triggered panic in the area.
Soon after the incident, additional reinforcements of the army, police and SOG rushed to the spot and launched a massive search operation to nab the attackers.
However, a defence spokesman said the IED explosion in Pulwama was a “failed attempt”, which caused “minor injuries” to few soldiers.
“A failed attempt was made to attack a mobile vehicle patrol of 44 RR with a Vehicle Based IED while the Army patrol was moving in the general area Arihal in district Pulwama today evening,” said a defence spokesman.
“Troops all safe (sic). Few minor injuries,” he added while terming as “unfounded and baseless” the reports suggesting an attack on an army convoy.