SRINAGAR

: Three CRPF troopers — including an inspector-rank officer and two jawans — were injured after terrorists lobbed a grenade at a camp of the force’s 29 Battalion in Duniwari, in Chadoora area of central Kashmir ’s Budgam district on Friday evening. Search is on to trace the perpetrators, IG (Kashmir range) Vijay Kumar said. In north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, a soldier died after his service rifle accidentally went off inside an Army camp in Hirri area earlier in the day.The paramilitary troopers also fired in retaliation but the attackers managed to flee, IG Kumar said. The wounded trio — Inspector Mayesh Chand and constables G Prakash Rao, K Sirnu — was rushed to the hospital with minor injuries. Their condition is stable, CRPF spokesperson Pankaj Singh confirmed.Soon after the attack, a joint team of security forces including CRPF personnel and J&K Police’s special operations group, launched a cordon-and-search operation in the area to trace the perpetrators. The exercise continued till the filing of this report.Earlier in the day in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, a soldier died after his service rifle accidentally went off inside an Army camp in Hirri area, police said. The deceased was identified as Havaldar Rakesh Kumar of 8 JAT Regiment.“Rakesh Kumar, posted with Army’s 160 TA headquarters at Hirri, was cleaning his rifle when the accident occurred. He sustained a bullet injury in his chest and was rushed to the nearest healthcare facility of the Army by his colleagues, from where he was referred to the Drugmulla military hospital in a critical condition. Doctors there declared him brought dead,” a police officer said.Cops have registered a case and an investigation is underway, the officer added.