Several soldiers were injured on Monday evening after militants targeted an Army patrol with an improvised explosive device at Arihal in Pulwama district of South Kashmir.
The attack came in the wake of reports about Pakistan alerting India about militants planning an IED attack in Kashmir.
According to reports, the militants targeted a mine protecting vehicle (MPV) of 44 Rashtriya Rifles around 6 pm.
Photos circulated on WhatsApp revealed that the front portion of the vehicle suffered major damage.
Reports said that at least nine Army men were injured, two of them critically.
Army spokesperson Colonel Rajesh Kalia in a statement said that a failed attempt was made to attack a mobile vehicle patrol of 44 RR with a vehicle-based IED in the general area of Arihal on Monday evening.
''All troops are safe, a few minor injuries,” the statement said.
The spokesperson said reports of an attack on Army convoy are unfounded and baseless.
The area has been cordoned off. Kalia said the damage was minimised due to the alertness of the patrol party. “It's a hardened ALS, not a Casspir,'' he said.
This is the first time after the February 14 Pulwama suicide attack on a CRPF convoy in which 40 CRPF men were killed that militants have resorted to a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) attack against security forces.
Earlier on Monday, an Army Major was killed while another officer, along with two soldiers, was injured in an encounter with militants in Anantnag. The encounter happened at Bidoora village after security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the area.
One militant and one officer were killed in the encounter according to Army spokesperson. The operation was in progress, he said.
