2 cops dead in terror hit

10 CRPF jawans injured in separate militant attack in Anantnag

Two policemen on guard duty at a court complex in Jammu and Kashmir’s southern Pulwama district were killed and another was injured in a pre- dawn militant attack on Tuesday.

In a separate attack, 10 jawans of Central Reserve Police Force ( CRPF) were injured in neighbouring Anantnag district, the officials said.

The police said that militants opened indiscriminate fire using automatic weapons at a guard post at the new court complex in Pulwama, about 32 km south of summer capital Srinagar, early on Tuesday. At that time, people in large numbers were praying in mosques and hospices across the Valley to mark Shab- e- Qadr, the night of decree or power when, as per Islamic belief, the first verses of the Quran were revealed to Prophet Muhammad.

The officials said that three policemen were

injured in the attack and later two of them, identified as selection- grade constable Ghulam Rasool Lone and Ghulam Hassan Wagay, succumbed to their injuries.

Pulwama’s SSP

Muhammad Aslam Choudhary said that the gunmen targeted the police guard- room at Takiya Wagam, injuring three policemen. “While two of them achieved martyrdom soon after the attack, Manzoor Ahmed, the third cop who sustained bullet wounds, is being treated at a Srinagar hospital,” he said. Earlier, the Kashmir police had tweeted, “Terrorists attacked guard posts at Pulwama court complex. In the exchange of fire, two policemen attained martyrdom. Area is being sanitised”. A report said that Lone and Wagay had died on the spot.”

The attack took place hours after the Kashmir police had in another tweet said, “We wish families of martyrs, the police, army, CAPF personnel & our followers a blissful # Shabeqadar. Let us pray for peace & prosperity of our state & nation on this auspicious night. Jai Hind.”

During Shab- e- Qadr last year, a mob had lynched J& K deputy superintendent of police Muhammd Ayub Pandit while on duty outside Srinagar’s Grand Mosque, the incident which was widely condemned across the state and beyond.