2 injured in J&K highway firing (Lead)

Jammu : A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) trooper and a forest guard were injured on Wednesday in firing by militants on the Jammu-Srinagar highway in Udhampur district, police said.

Three militants travelling in a truck from Jammu to Srinagar opened fire at a checkpost near the Jhajar Kotli police station.

The police have seized the truck and detained the driver and helper for questioning. They have also recovered an AK-47 rifle and three magazines.

Earlier reports quoted the police as saying that during a routine checking at a 'nakaa' (checkpost) near the Jhajar Kotli police station, one gunman fired at the paramilitary trooper and fled into a lane nearby.

"The three militants abandoned the vehicle after the firing and fled towards the bushes nearby.

"A cordon and search operation has been launched to trace them," a police officer said. An alert has been sounded on the national highway after the incident.

The injured persons have been shifted to hospital.