SRINAGAR: Death toll of Indian soldiers rises drastically from deadliestblast in occupied Kashmir, Indian media has reported.
At least 26 Indian soldiers were killed and dozens injured in IndianOccupied Kashmir on Thursday in what was being termed the deadliest attackon Indian forces in more than two years.
The soldiers were killed when an improvised explosive device (IED) went offas a convoy of military vehicles drove on a highway some 20 kilometres fromthe main city of Srinagar.
“An IED went off as a CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) convoy passedby,” senior police officer Munir Ahmed Khan told news agency AFP.
CRPF spokesman Sanjay Kumar said that the explosives were inside a car,while local media reports said the explosive-laden vehicle was driven intothe convoy.
“It was a powerful explosion. The explosive was car-borne,” Kumar told AFP.
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The explosion was heard from several kilometres away. Mohammad Yunis, ajournalist who reached the site minutes after the explosion, told Reutershe saw blood and body parts scattered along a 100-metre stretch on thehighway.
Kashmir’s Police Chief S.P. Pani said the CRPF had suffered major damage.”It is a terror incident and we are looking into the possibility of whatled to the blast. We are going to go for post blast investigation,” he said.
The Kashmir Media Service put the death toll at 26.
“26 CRPF men were killed and several others seriously wounded were shiftedto Indian army’s 92 base hospital at Badami Bagh in Srinagar. Authoritiessay the death toll may rise,” KMS reported.