SRINAGAR : Despite fresh militant attack on Border Security Force (BSF) and Army camps that left a soldier dead and three others injured late last night, the Karvan-e-Aman bus run, operating between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK), continued.
The militant attack came four days after troops carried out a surgical operation against seven militant launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC) in PoK.
Official sources said that the weekly bus left Srinagar early this morning for Kaman post, the last Indian military post on this side of the LoC in Uri sector, where fidayeen attacked Army Brigade headquarters on September 18. Four Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militants, believed to be foreigners, were also killed in the encounter.
The bus has reached Salamabad Trade Facilitation Centre (TFC) Uri at around 0800 hrs safely. The bus crossed Baramulla area, where militants attacked BSF and headquarters of 45 Rashitriya Rifles (RR) at 2230 hrs late last night with automatic weapons and grenades that left a BSF jawan dead and two RR jawans injured.
Barring July 11 and 18, the bus service continued despite curfew, restrictions and strike for the past 87 days in the Kashmir valley where 85 people were killed and over 9,000 others injured in security force and police action, since July 9, a day after Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) commander Burhan Wani and two other militants were killed in an encounter in Anantnag, evoking massive protest.
The bus service on these days was suspended owing to strike by separatists for security reasons, while on July 4 and September 12 in view of Eid festivals.
During the unrest, the bus from Srinagar to Kaman post is leaving Srinagar early in the morning to avoid stone pelting during the day. Similarly, people coming from PoK have to wait at Uri before starting journey towards their respective destinations late in the night to avoid stone pelting.
The bus service, introduced on April 7, 2005, has helped thousands of families divided due to partition in 1947 to meet each other after India and Pakistan agreed to allow travel of state subjects from both sides on travel permits instead of international passport.
However, people are allowed to travel only after their names are cleared from intelligence agencies from both sides. (AGENCIES)
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