Militants struck at a crowded bus stand in Jammu and Kashmir's Sopore town on Wednesday evening, killing three CRPF jawans, including a head constable, and seriously wounding a woman bystander.
The attackers, whose number could not be ascertained, fired at the para-military troopers, on duty at the bus stand, from point-blank range at around 1725 hours, CRPF spokesman P Tripathi told PTI.
Two jawans died instantly while one succumbed to gunshot wounds on way to hospital, he said adding the pistol-wielding militants fled after staging the attack in the apple-rich town, some 55-km from here.
The dead were Head Constable Des Raj and Constables D Pratab and Ramesh Kumar who were deployed at the crowded bus stand when the ultras struck.
A woman, waiting for a bus, was hit by a bullet and was admitted to hospital where her condition was described as critical.
The shooting took place barely 200 yards away from the CRPF camp in the town.
Security forces cordoned off the entire area soon after the shooting and launched a massive hunt to nab the attackers.
The shooting sparked panic as passers-by, shopkeepers and those waiting at the bus stand ran helter-skelter.
The incident took place hours after Jammu and Kashmir DGP Kuldeep Khoda visited Sopore town in Baramulla district to review the security scenario in North Kashmir.
No militant outfit has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Similar militant strikes on August one and 31 in the summer capital killed three CRPF personnel and a policeman. PTI
