Jammu and Kashmir: Two policemen killed in twin militant attacks

SRINAGAR: Two policemen were killed in twin militant attacks in strife torn Kashmir on Sunday.  The militants also snatched rifles from the deceased policemen.

A police officer said militants fired towards the policeman guarding the revered sufi shrine at Chrar-e-Sharief in central Kashmir’s Budgam district this afternoon.

He said a policeman identified as Kultair Singh sustained critical bullet injuries and was evacuated to army hospital in Srinagar, where he succumbed to injuries.

The officer said the militants also snatched rifle from the cop before fleeing from the spot.

Immediately after the shoot-out, police and paramilitary personnel laid siege around the area to flush out the militants responsible for the attack.

However, no arrests were reported during the hour-long search operation.

The deceased policeman is survived by aged parents, wife and two sons.

A police officer said preliminary investigations have revealed that two militants were involved in the attack.

The highly revered Chrar-e-Sharif shrine was gutted during the gunfight between militants and security forces in 1995. It was later rebuilt.

In the evening, suspected militants attacked police man guarding the residence of senior leader of separatist Hurriyat Conference led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq in Soura area in outskirts of Srinagar.

A police officer said policeman guarding residence of Fazal Haque Qureshi, who is a an executive member of Mirwaiz led Hurriyat, was fired upon by militants in Soura area in the evening.

He said the policeman was killed in the attack and his weapon snatched by militants.

The deceased policeman has been identified as Farooq Ahmad.

The policemen have been guarding the residence of Qureshi after he survived an assassination attempt in 2009.

After the militant attack, police and CRPF officers rushed to the spot while the security personnel launched search operation in the area to track down the militants.

No militant group has claimed responsibility for the twin attacks on police men.

Police, however, suspect it to be the handiwork of Hizbul Mujahideen or Lashkar-e-Toiba militants.

After the twin militant attacks, security forces have intensified patrolling and vigil across the Valley.