Srinagar, Dec 11: Four policemen were killed Tuesday when Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) militants attacked a guard post outside a minority pocket in south Kashmir’s Shopian district, officials said.
The attack took place this afternoon when four policemen were sitting in a pre-fabricated room outside the pocket that houses six Kashmiri Pandit familiesat Zainapora area of Shopian.
A senior police official said that six Jaish-e-Mohammed militants were led by former Special Police Officer (SPO) Adil Bashir, who deserted in October and decamped with eight weapons from a PDP legislator.
Quoting eyewitnesses, the police officer said that militants fired indiscriminately, killing three policemen on the spot and critically injuring one.
The injured policeman was rushed to an Army hospital, where he also succumbed to injuries, the official said.
The deceased have been identified as Anees Ahmad Mir, HamidullahGanaie, Mehrajud Din Dar and Abdul MajeedGanaie.
At the time of the incident, only one family was present at the minority pocket.
Immediately after the shoot out, the militants fled with three Self Loading Rifles (SLRs) of the policemen, the official said, adding a cordon and search operation has been launched to nab the attackers.
JeM claimed the attack and confirmed that its cadres decamped with the weapons of the slain policemen.
Meanwhile, a wreath laying ceremony for the slain policemen was held at District Police Lines Shopian.
Civil and police officers including ADGP Munir Ahmed Khan, and IGP Kashmir S. P. Pani, DIG SKR Amit Kumar laid floral wreaths on the mortal remains and paid rich tributes to the slain cops.
NC, PDP, Congress, condemn Shopian attack
Srinagar, Dec 11: The NC, PDP and Congress condemned the militant attack on a police post in Shopian district in which four police personnel died.
“I strongly condemn the attack on the police post in Shopian and condole the deaths of police personnel in the line of duty,” NC vice-president and former chief minister Omar Abdullah said.
“I pray for their souls & for the speedy recovery of those injured in this attack,” added the NC leader.
PDP president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti said violence of last three decades or more has taken a heavy toll on the people of the state in terms of death and destruction, tearing apart of the social fabric, inflicting massive economic, academic and other losses besides the irreparable loss of human lives.
The Congress also expressed shock over the attack.
“The killings or violence has neither served any purpose nor will benefit anyone, rather such type of dastardly acts will have serious implications on the society, besides vitiating the peace,” a spokesman of the Pradesh Congress Committee said in a statement.
Sajad Lone tweets…
The attack in Shopian on police personnel is yet another mindless act of violence. My heartfelt condolences to the families of the policemen who laid down their lives in the line of duty.
— Sajad Lone (@sajadlone) December 11, 2018
“The attack in Shopian on police personnel is yet another mindless act of violence. My heartfelt condolences to the families of the policemen who laid down their lives in the line of duty.”
