Srinagar: Two Army personnel and a BSF (Border Security Force) jawan were killed and six injured as militants carried out attacks on the forces today (Nov 6, 2004) coinciding with the maiden visit of Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil to Jammu and Kashmir.

As the Home Minister held talks with top Government functionaries in Srinagar, militants lobbed grenade at the Army soldiers shopping at Lal Mandi area this evening killing two of them and injuring two others including a civilian.

No militant outfit has claimed responsibility for the blast, which took place around 4:10 hrs (IST).

Hours before his arrival on a three-day visit to the State, at least two militants carried out a suicide attack on a BSF camp in Sopore township, 55 km from Srinagar, in Baramulla district triggering heavy exchange of fire that left one jawan and a militant killed. Another militant managed to escape.

While the BSF suspected the involvement of Laskar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants in the attack, pro-Pakistan Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen outfit claimed the responsibility for it.

BSF sources said as militants approached the headquarters of the 13th battalion of the forces and lobbed grenade followed by firing on its sentry post around 4:30 hrs (IST), the jawans fired retaliatory rounds and in the gunbattle BSF jawan Makhen Singh and a militant were killed and four personnel including two sub-inspectors were injured.

They said a search operation was carried out in the area but there was no clue about the escaped militant.

An AK assault rifle and 60 rounds of ammunition were recovered from the unidentified deceased militant.

Elsewhere in the State, security forces killed 10 more militants and foiled two major infiltration bids.