A municipal councillor and a policeman were killed and another councillor was injured in a militant attack in Sopore on Sunday. Four policemen were suspended after the incident.
The incident took place at 1:10 p.m. when militants opened indiscriminate fire upon the Municipal Councillors near the Lone Building in Sopore.
“Two councillors, Reyaz Ahmad Pir and Shams-ud-din Pir, and a police personnel, Shafqat Nazir, were injured in the attack. Mr. Reyaz and Mr. Shafqat succumbed to their injuries,” a police spokesman said.
It’s for the first time that elected councillors came under attack from militants in the Valley.
Vijay Kumar, IGP, said preliminary investigation indicated that a local terrorist, Mudasir Pandit, of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and a foreign terrorist were involved in the attack.
“We have taken a serious note of the poor and inappropriate retaliation by the Personal Security Officers (PSOs) of the protected persons present on the spot. I have directed the SSP, Sopore, to put four PSOs under suspension,” Mr. Kumar said.
Mr. Kumar, who visited the spot, has chaired a security review meeting with Army’s Commander 5-Sector, CRPF and police officials.
“It is of crucial importance to enhance the security of vulnerable persons and take all necessary measures to thwart the nefarious designs of terrorists,” the IGP said.
Political parties, cutting across the political divide, condemned the attack.
“My unequivocal condemnation of this attack. Brutality has no place in any emancipated society,” National Conference (NC) vice-president Omar Abdullah said.
The Apni Party, the CPI(M), the BJP, the Congress and the Peoples Conference also condemned the attack.
“I strongly condemn the killings. The perpetrators of this heinous act of violence will be brought to justice very soon,” said J&K L-G Manoj Sinha.