The attack took place around 8 pm when the bus was going from Bemina to Zewan. Representational Image
A cop was killed while seven others were injured when militants attacked a bus carrying policemen on Srinagar-Jammu national highway near Pantha Chowk on the outskirts of Srinagar city on Friday evening.
Police said militants ambushed a vehicle of the state armed police near Pantha Chowk, close to Army’s 15-Corps headquarters, on the city's outskirts at around 7.45 pm, and opened indiscriminate fire. "Eight policemen were injured, one of whom succumbed later at the hospital. The condition of three of the injured is stated to be critical," police said.
The slain policeman has been identified as head constable Krishan Lal. Reports said immediately after the attack, which occurred on the eve of Bakr-Idd, the area was cordoned off by security forces and searches started to trace the assailants. However, the militants managed to escape from the spot taking advantage of the darkness, reports added.
A police officer said the attack WAS a hit-n-run by militants and didn't rule out the possibility of similar attacks on the day of Eid. "A fidayeen alert has also been issued in Srinagar and security forces have been asked to remain alert as intelligence inputs have suggested that Jaish-e-Mohammad outfit militants may launch fidayeen (suicide) attack before, during or two days after Eid," he said.
On June 24, a CRPF officer was killed while several others were injured when militants launched a similar attack on Pantha Chowk area. Today's attack occurred just few hundred meters away from June 25 encounter. The area, which is barely a kilometre away from the strategic 15-Corps headquarters, has witnessed a number of militant attacks since last year.
Meanwhile, an assistant sub-inspector of Border Security Force (BSF) was killed when Pakistani troops violated ceasefire in the border district of Poonch in Jammu region. "The ceasefire violation took place at around 6:30 pm from Pakistani army posts at LoC in Balnoi sector of Poonch district with sniper and automatic weapons," a BSF official said.