Northlines Correspondent
Srinagar/Shopian, Feb 19: In broad daylight Friday, a Terrorist gunned down two unarmed policemen in Barzulla, an upmarket Srinagar area falling on the way to civil Airport. The incident was witnessed by several people and captured on CCTV cameras, two days after a similar shooting targeting the son of the owner of a local city eatery in the evening hours, where tourists often take their meal.
In another separate incident, three local Al-Badr terrorists were killed in an overnight gunfight at Imam Sahib Area of Shopian district.
The two policemen were on duty at Barzulla Baghat on the high-security airport road when they were attacked. The militant, identified as Saqib, pulled out an assault rifle hidden inside his ‘pheran', a loose over-garment worn during winters, and pumped bullets at the cops at close range.
People around the spot ran for their lives in panic on seeing this horrific incident in an otherwise busy area.
“We have identified the militant and we will soon catch hold of him,” Director-General of Jammu and Kashmir Police Dilbagh Singh told here.
The two policemen were rushed to SMHS hospital. Constable Suhail was the first one to succumb while his colleague, Constable Mohammed Yusuf, lost the battle of life as he was being wheeled into the operation theatre, police said.
Immediately after the incident, police teams rushed to the area and took into their possession recordings from CCTVs installed by shops and houses. This led them to identify the militant as Saqib from Barzulla area in the city. His affiliations were not immediately known.
A police cop was also killed in an initial exchange of firing during a gunfight at Beerwah area of Budgam where another cop sustained injury.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a wreath laying ceremony of two slain cops at DPL Srinagar, the IGP said that two Lashkar-e-Toiba militants including—a foreigner and a local militant, who has been identified as Saqib, carried out the Baghat attack. “The two policemen were on a routine duty and were at a shop to buy something. They were fired from the back. They were totally unarmed,” IGP Kumar said.
He said that both the attackers will be tracked down soon. “Doctors at the hospital tried their best to save the two injured cops but couldn't,” the IGP said adding that the incident will help the cops to work with more dedication and take extra precautions. “We will go for a security review and plug the loopholes. Had the policemen with weapons, perhaps they would have retaliated,” the IGP said.
Asked if a civilian has been detained at Baghat area, the Kashmir police chief said that nobody has been detained or arrested. “May be someone has been detained for routine questioning,” he said and paid rich tributes to the slain cops Suhail Ahmed and Muhammad Yousuf, residents of Ashmuqam, Anantnag and Zurhama, Kupwara.
An official informed that on Thursday evening, a joint team of Police, Army's 44 RR and CRPF launched a Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) on specific information about the presence of militants in the area in hiding.
He said that as the joint team of forces approached towards the suspected spot, the hiding militants fired upon them, which was retaliated, triggering an encounter.
IGP Kashmir, Vijay Kumar said that the militants had taken the house owner, his wife and a girl as “hostages.” “We rescued the civilians and made several offers to the militants to surrender, but they refused. At 5:30 am, the final assault was launched after which three militants were killed,” he said. “All three slain militants are locals and were affiliated with Al-Badr outfit.”
The slain militants have been identified as Suhail Sheikh alias Azeem son of Abdul Ghani Sheikh resident of Turkwangam, Shahid Ahmad Dar alias alias Furkan son of Bashir Ahmad Dar resident of Samboora, Awantipora and Muddasir Ahmad Wagay son of Fayaz Ahmad Wagay resident of Chak Sangren, affiliated with proscribed militant outfit Al-Badr.
The bodies of all the three killed militants were retrieved from the site of encounter. Arms and ammunition including two AK rifles, five AK magazines, 96 AK rounds, 01 pistol, 01 pistol magazine, five pistol rounds and other incriminating materials were recovered from the site of encounter. Meanwhile, as a precautionary measure, internet services have been snapped in Shopian district.
Cop killed, another injured in Budgam Gunfight: A police official said that police, army's 53 RR and 79 bn CRPF launched a joint cordon and search operation in village Zanigam, Beerwah, in Central Kashmir's Budgam early morning Friday.
“During the search operation, the hiding militants fired indiscriminately at the forces in which two J&K Police personnel namely Muhammad Altaf 1444/SPO and constable Manzoor Ahmed of 761/AP of 13th Battalion received bullet injuries,” a police official said. “However, one of the injured Muhammad Altaf succumbed to his injuries while Manzoor is being treated at the hospital.”
IGP said that militant ‘commander' Yosuf Kantroo and a foreigner managed to flee from the encounter site. “It is a very difficult stage when a cordon is being laid and an exchange of fire takes place. The house owner told us that one of the two militants sustained bullet wounds in his shoulder or leg. We followed the blood stains and where the blood trail ended—around two kilometers from the site of gunfight, a cordon was again laid and searches were launched,” the IGP Kashmir said.
This sudden spurt in violent incidents and the trail of attack in the city and elsewhere in three days, coinciding with the two-day visit of foreign envoys to Jammu Kashmir.
On Wednesday evening, militants shot at and injured the son of a popular eatery owner in the city's high security Durganag area.
“We have identified some people and they are being questioned by the police. I am sure the case will be cracked soon,” Singh said.
The attack in the city came as a 24-member delegation of envoys from various countries visited Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday to assess the ground situation in the union territory.
