Militants attack post in Srinagar, 2 cops killed

Two policemen were killed and another was injured in a sneak attack carried out by separatist militants in a Srinagar neighbourhood early Friday despite heightened security arrangements having been put in place across Jammu and Kashmir’s summer capital and other sensitive areas ahead of India and Pakistan’s Independence days.

The police sources said that the militants targeted the policemen with rifle fire in Nowgam area, injuring three of them. They were quickly evacuated to the hospital where two of them identified as Ashfaq Ayoub and Fayaz Ahmad, both belonging to Indian Reserve Police (IRP)’s 20th Battalion, succumbed to their injuries. Their colleague Muhammad Ashraf is being treated at the police hospital here for the bullet injuries he received in his right hand, the sources said adding that his condition is stable.

J&K’s Director General of Police, Dilbag Singh, said that preliminary investigation into the shooting incident has

revealed the involvement of Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM). “The police are busy in identifying the attackers. We will act against them soon,” he said.

He pledged to “speed up” the anti-militancy operations “to strengthen peace” in J&K and said that the police party attacked at Nowgam had been deployed in the area to ensure smooth conduct of August 15 ceremonial parade and other functions in Srinagar.

Speaking to reporters after the wreath laying ceremony for the slain

policemen, the DGP said, “Unfortunately, the terrorists found a chance to attack a joint party of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and Jammu & Kashmir police at Nowgam.”

He added, “Such attacks are carried when situation shows improvement in Kashmir. Our neighbour (Pakistan) can’t tolerate peace prevailing in the Valley and keeps trying to carry out acts like the one today, to disrupt the peaceful atmosphere. However, our efforts to strengthen the peace will continue.”