At least two Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were injured on Wednesday after unidentified gunmen opened fire on a security checkpoint in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam district, triggering a cordon and search operation across the area.
The attack took place near Mir Bazar, on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway, when motorcycle-borne attackers fired at personnel manning the checkpoint and fled. The injured personnel were shifted to a hospital for treatment, officials said. Some reports put the number of injured at three.
Security forces immediately cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to trace the attackers. Additional reinforcements were rushed to the spot, and traffic on the busy highway stretch was briefly regulated as forces combed the surrounding localities.
Kulgam, in south Kashmir, has seen sporadic militant attacks on security forces over the years, and checkpoints along the national highway remain a frequent target. The Mir Bazar crossing is one of the busiest points on the route connecting the Valley with Jammu, and it is guarded round the clock.
Officials said the attackers appeared to have fired from a moving motorcycle before disappearing into the adjoining area. No group had claimed responsibility for the attack at the time of reporting, and police said the identity of the assailants was yet to be established.
The incident comes at a time when security agencies in the Union Territory remain on heightened alert, with stepped-up patrolling and area domination operations across south Kashmir. The winter months traditionally see a change in the pattern of militant movement, and forces have been conducting regular cordon and search operations in the districts of Kulgam, Pulwama, Shopian and Anantnag.
Senior police and CRPF officers visited the spot soon after the attack to assess the situation. The injured personnel are reported to be stable, and further details were awaited as the search operation continued into the evening.
The attack is a reminder that, despite a sharp decline in militancy-related incidents in recent years, the threat along the national highway and in south Kashmir has not disappeared. Security agencies say the focus remains on preventing such hit-and-run strikes while keeping the highway open for civilian and commercial traffic.
Police have appealed to the public to share any information about the attackers, and have said that the search operation will continue until the assailants are traced. The highway, which carries thousands of vehicles every day between Srinagar and Jammu, remained open with additional security deployment, and officials said there was no need for panic among travellers.
