Srinagar: Police inspector Arshad Ahmed Khan was injured as soon as he stepped out of his armoured vehicle when a bullet fired by a militant ricocheted from his service rifle hitting his liver and duodenum during Wednesday’s shootout at Anantnag in south Kashmir, officials said Thursday.
Khan, battling for his life at an Army hospital, received praise from senior officials for his prompt and courageous response after the militants struck.
On analysing events of the Wednesday shootout, the officials said the lone “Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM)” militant started firing at a CRPF patrol party at 1651 hours.
Five CRPF personnel were killed in the attack by the militant.
Within five minutes, Khan, the SHO of Saddar Police Station in Anantnag, reached the site showing exemplary courage, they said.
The moment he stepped out of his official bulletproof vehicle along with his service rifle, a barrage of bullets were fired by the militant. One ricocheted from the butt of his service rifle and hit his liver and duodenum.
Even in this condition, the officer kept firing bullets at the militant before he collapsed, they said.
Khan is at present undergoing a treatment at the Army’s 92 Base Hospital located inside well-fortified XV Corps cantonment. “The officer’s popularity could be gauged from the fact that around 70 locals from his area of posting gathered there to inquire about his health.”
