Nine jawans were injured in the attack. (Photo: Mohd Iqbal)

An army special forces convoy on Monday was attacked by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) on its way at Arihal village of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district, locals and officials said.

The Army Casper, a bullet and mine proof vehicle, of 44 Rashtriya Rifles was targeted by the IED explosion near Eidgah Arihal on the Arihal-Lassipora road, a police official said. Nine jawans were injured in the attack.

J&K Police said that two civilians also sustained injuries due to the explosion. "They were evacuated to a hospital by the jawans and are undergoing treatment," J&K Police said.

"Terrorists attempted to attack a mobile vehicle patrol of 44 RR with a vehicle-based IED while the Army patrol was moving in general area Arihal in Pulwama this evening. The troops are safe, few minor injuries. Reports of attack on Army convoy are unfounded and baseless," the Indian Army said.

Indian Army also said that the area has been cordoned and search operations are in progress.

Police has registered a case and is investigating the circumstances of this terror crime.

The site of the blast is 27 km from the area where a convoy of vehicles carrying security personnel on the Jammu Srinagar National Highway was attacked by a suicide bomber on 14 February in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed.

The February attack, which was orchestrated by Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), left the nation in shock and anger while Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave security forces a freehand to strike back with equal force.

Meanwhile, an encounter broke out on Monday between security forces and the ultras in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district, officials said. In the encounter, an Army major and a militant were killed, while another officer and two troopers were injured.

The injured were rushed to the 92 base hospital of the Army in Srinagar, the officials said.

They added that an unidentified militant was also killed in the gunfight and his body recovered.

Arms and ammunition were also seized from the encounter site, the officials said.