Sopore known as Suyyapur in antiquity, is a town in the Baramulla district of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. Sopore was founded by Utpala engineer and irrigation minister Suyya during the reign of king Avantivarman in 880 CE. As such the name of the city is Suyya-pur, which has been shortened to Sopore. When the engineer Suyya was working in Sopore no people were coming forth to plunge themselves in gushing water. The king, Avantiverman, thereupon ordered that a part of treasury may be thrown into the water; consequently, a large number of people plunged into the river to get as many coins as they could. It was engineer Suyya's idea to trow coins into flooded land not the king. Pashtun tribesmen such as Mehsud and Afridi from mountainous region of North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) of the newly formed state of Pakistan invaded Sopore on 22 October 1947. In 1989, Sopore became a focus of the separatist activities and violence with frequent protests and strikes. On 6 January 1993, a group of 7–8 armed JKLF militants attacked a platoon of Border Security Force soldiers at Baba Yousuf Lane near Sopore, killing at least one before being gunned down.[4][5] After the firing, violence erupted with allegations of Indian troops firing at local residents and setting fire to homes and businesses.