2 cops killed as militants attack NC leader’s house

Two police personnel were killed when militants opened fire at the house of a National Conference leader in Pulwama, the first terror attack targeting election activities in J&K this year. The attack sparked a gunbattle that also left both militants dead, police said.

SRINAGAR: Militants on Sunday killed two policemen guarding the home of a National Conference (NC) youth politician in Kashmir in the first such attack in the region since the general elections got underway, police said.

Two militants sprayed the home of Yawar Masoodi with bullets in the town of Khrew.

Two policemen were shot in the ensuing exchange of fire. The attack also left both militants dead, police said.

Masoodi, a youth leader of the NC party which rules at state level in Kashmir, was home at the time but was unharmed. “The two policemen died before

IT IS UNCLEAR WHY MASOODI, WHO IS NOT AN ELECTED MP OR A POLL CANDIDATE, WAS ATTACKED

reaching hospital,” a police officer at the scene told AFP.

“Both the attackers were later neutralised and the snatched weapons also recovered,” inspector general Nalin Prabhat from the CRPF said.

It is unclear why Masoodi, who is not an elected member of parliament nor standing at the polls, was singled out for attack. The district where the attack took place will go to the polls on April 24.