Militant killed, cop injured in Tral attack

SRINAGAR: A militant was killed in a grenade blast as his attempt to escape police custody was foiled on Monday at a police station in Tral area of Pulwama district, officials said, adding that a policeman was also injured.

“A terrorist Mushtaq Chopan died in a grenade explosion when challenged by sentry while trying to escape from police station Tral,” director general of state police SP Vaid wrote on Twitter.

The attack comes a day after two policemen were killed by militants in two separate attacks — one, a selection grade constable guarding the famous Chrar-eSharif shrine in Budgam district and the second, a constable posted as a guard outside the residence of separatist leader Fazal Haq Qureshi.

According to district police officials, Chopan — wearing a burkha — was coming out of the police station while a suspected accomplice allegedly lobbed a grenade to distract the police. But the plan went awry and Chopan himself was killed in the blast.

A police spokesperson said, “Today at 12:30pm one Hizbul Mujahideen militant namely Mushtaq Chopan who was in custody of PS Tral tried to escape from the police station wearing a burka. When he was near the main gate someone from outside lobbed a grenade as a part of the planned conspiracy to divert the attention so that he could escape conveniently.”

The injured constable has been identified as Mehraj Din and has been shifted to the army hospital.

“Magisterial enquiry has been initiated,” the police spokesperson said, adding the “circumstances under which he was escaping are being looked into”.