PSO dies, NC leader escapes unhurt in J& K terror attack

Another policeman hospitalised, critical

A senior National Conference ( NC) leader and former lawmaker, Ghulam Mohiuddin, escaped narrowly a bid on his life by suspected militants in Jammu and Kashmir’s southern Pulwama district on Monday. However, one of his two personal security officers ( PSOs) was killed and another was injured in the attack.

The police said that Mr Mohiuddin was travelling in a car when targeted with gunfire in Murran area in the militancy infested Pulwama on the Monday afternoon. “Though he escaped unhurt, two of his PSOs were hit, resulting into the death of one of them and critically injuring the other,” the police said.

A report from Pulwama said that the assailants also decamped with the policemen’s service rifles. “Their service weapons are missing. Apparently, the terrorists have taken them away,” a police officer said.

Mr Mohiuddin is a former member of the J& K Assembly, representing Rajpora constituency of Pulwama. He was reportedly returning home from Srinagar when attacked.

The slain cop has been identified as Mudasir Ahmed and his injured colleague as Nasir Ahmed.

The police said that the preliminary investigations point towards involvement of Zahoor Thokar group of Hizb- ulMujahideen in the attack..

Meanwhile, the J& K police has refuted media reports suggesting that the security of the legislators, including former ministers and some other protected persons in the state, has been lowered after the imposition of the Governor’s Rule.

“On the contrary, it is being ensured that the security provided as per categorisation fixed by the security headquarters, J& K is provided to the protectee. Only in few cases, where PSOs/ guards have been provided over and above the authorised number as per category are being withdrawn,” a statement issued by the police here said.

The police said that this step has been taken to augment the police manpower at cutting edge level so as to improve security environment in the entire State and to utilise the additional manpower for law and order and crime investigation duties.

A police spokesman added that the step is surely going to improve the efficiency of police which is facing severe shortage of manpower on account of performing multifarious duties.

◗ The police said that the preliminary peobe point towards involvement of Zahoor Thokar group of Hizb- ul- Mujahideen in the attack