Srinagar, November 11, 2026: Three Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were injured on Wednesday afternoon after motorcycle-borne terrorists opened unprovoked fire at a security check-post and bridge guard party in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district. The brazen daylight assault triggered immediate counter-fire from the troops before the assailants fled into nearby rural alleys, prompting security forces to seal off the area and initiate a massive cordon-and-search operation (CASO).
The incident occurred at approximately 2:15 PM in the Nawapora area near Mir Bazar (Akhran), situated roughly four kilometers off the vital Srinagar-Jammu National Highway. According to preliminary operational briefings, unidentified assailants arrived on a motorcycle and sprayed bullets with an automatic assault rifle—suspected to be an AK-47—targeting a CRPF road-opening and bridge guard detail stationed at the checkpoint.
Casualties and Hospitalization: Critical Care in Anantnag
The injured personnel were identified as Head Constable Somveer Singh, Constable Rakesh Dass, and Constable Santosh Chandru.
- Immediate Triage: Medical evacuation teams shifted all three wounded jawans to a district hospital in neighboring Anantnag for emergency medical treatment.
- Injury Profile: Constable Santosh Chandru sustained serious injuries to his abdomen and spine, while Constable Rakesh Dass suffered bullet wounds to his leg. Head Constable Somveer Singh was treated for an injury to his left arm. Senior medical officers confirmed that critical surgical procedures were administered and the condition of the personnel was being monitored closely.
Reinforcements Mobilized; Massive Hunt Launched
Following the gunfire, CRPF troops at the location retaliated, but the attackers utilized the dense civilian layout to escape.
Within minutes of the strike, Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, Indian Army, and CRPF were rushed to the location to cordon off entry and exit points across the Mir Bazar belt:
- Area Lockdown: Armored vehicles took up tactical positions, and additional mobile checkpoints were erected along connecting interior roads to prevent the terrorists from shifting their base toward the Pir Panjal ranges.
- Forensic and Ballistic Review: Ballistic experts and forensic teams arrived at the site to collect empty cartridges and examine tire tracks left by the assailants’ motorcycle.
- Suspected Outfit: Intelligence inputs suggest the involvement of local terror modules affiliated with The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), with investigators examining the potential role of local handlers operating in South Kashmir.
Heightened Alert Across South Kashmir
Security installations and patrol parties across Kulgam, Anantnag, Pulwama, and Shopian have been placed on high operational alert. District authorities have urged local residents to remain indoors while search operations, assisted by drone surveillance and canine units, comb through orchards and adjoining residential clusters.
The attack comes amid an intensified counter-terror push by security forces across the Kashmir Valley aimed at neutralizing lingering hybrid terror cells and securing key transit corridors.
