LeT militants gun down six policemen in Valley ambush
Cops say attack in retaliation to the killing of top commander earlier on Friday
SRINAGAR: In another militant attack within three weeks, terrorists on Friday ambushed a police party on the outskirts of Anantnag district of South Kashmir and killed six policemen, including a station house officer, of Achabal area.
The attack took place when the police party was travelling in a jeep at Thujwara in Achabal area, some 65 km from summer capital Srinagar.
The militants laid an ambush on Anantnag-Achabal road near Kulgad village and fired at the police party. According to PTI, they fatally shot the policemen on their faces from close range, disfiguring them, and escaped with their weapons.
All the six policemen, including station house officer, Feroz Ahmed, died on the spot, senior police officials said. Army has been called out to undertake a combing operation in the area.
“It is an unfortunate incident to have lost six men, including sub-nspector Feroz, a resident of Pulwama. Their contribution to the police service will be remembered,” director general of police SP Vaid told PTI.
Feroz Ahmed, 32, a 2010 batch sub-inspector and a resident of Dogripura in Awantipora, was a father of two daughters aged six and two. The other deceased officers are constables Sharik Ahmad and Tanveer Ahmad (Budgam district), Sheraz Ahmad (Achabal), Asif Ahmad and Sabzar Ahmed (Anantnag).
Pakistan-based Lashkar-eTaiba has claimed the responsibility for the attack. Its spokesman Abdullah Ghaznavi told a news agency that they attacked the police party in Achabal in which six policemen were killed.