Suhail Khan
Sopore, Dec 14 : A team of forest department came under attack from timber smugglers in Chehrar area of Sopore in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Thursday.
An official of forest department told Kashmir Despatch that following a tip-off that smugglers were involved in cutting of trees in the upper reaches of Sopore forests, a team of the forest department reached the spot, but the timber smugglers attacked them with sharp objects and fled the scene.
In the attack five employees received serious Injuries and was taken to nearby hospital where doctors referred them Sub District Hospital Sopore for advance treatment.
Hospital authorities identified all injured to Kashmir Despatch as Feroz Ahmed, Irshad Ahmed, Shazad Ahmed, Abdul Kareem and Tahir Ahmed and said that the condition of all injured persons is said to be stable.
However sources in forest department said that police always has failed to take immediate action to the smugglers who are continuously on looting green gold in the upper reaches of Sopore belt.
Meanwhile in this regard police has registered a case and initiated investigation in the matter.
Pertinently this is second such attack on forest employees from this jurisdiction, last year same kind of attack was reported in Manglu area where Scores of forest employees were injured and many vehicles were damaged by timber smugglers.
