Srinagar: In the first suicide attack this year, suspected Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militants on April 25 made an abortive bid to storm the sector headquarters of Border Security Force (BSF) in North Kashmir, 55 kms from Srinagar, triggering a gun battle that left two ultras and an equal number of BSF personnel and a civilian dead.

Three members of suicide squad of militants approached the sector headquarters at Bagh-Bandipora in Baramulla district from the rear side around 9.45 am (IST) and hurled grenades and opened fire on the troops working in a garage, wounding two of them, a BSF spokesman said.

The ultras then moved towards the main gate, hardly 50 yards from the rear side, and tried to force their entry. However, their attempt was foiled by the alert sentry, who engaged them in a gunfight and shot two of them dead while the other escaped, the spokesman said.

He said the injured jawans succumbed to their injuries while being shifted to hospital.

Message Board

Is US using the Kashmir issue to try and get a permanent foothold in South Asia? Post your views

The body of one of the deceased militants blew up into pieces apparently due to the explosives tied to his waist, the spokesman said, adding it is suspected that the militants were members of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) outfit.

However, once the identity of the dead is established, their group affiliation would be known.

The mutilated body of a civilian, who had come with milk to the BSF establishment was picked up near the main gate of the camp. The civilian had apparently died due to the grenade blast, the spokesman said.

PTI