2 militants including a foreigner killed in Rangreth
PM seeks details of attack, LG condemns
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 13: Two policemen including an Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) were martyred and 12 others injured, three of them critically after militants attacked a police bus at Zewan area of Srinagar today while two militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) including a foreigner were killed in a brief shoot out at Rangreth area on the outskirts of Srinagar.
A police official said that at around 6 pm, militants fired indiscriminately at a bus ferrying policemen from Armed Reserve Police (ARP) 9th battalion at Zewan area of Pantha Chowk, Srinagar. “In the incident, 16 policemen were injured of which two succumbed at the hospital,” he added.
The official said that the two slain were identified as ASI Ghulam Hassan ARP-861250 and Selection Grade Constable Shafiq Ali, belt number 782/AP9th ARP091317.
The injured were identified as Bishember Das, Sajad Ahmed, Rameez Ahmed, Sanjay Kumar, Vikas Sharma, Abdul Majeed, Muasdhir Ahmed, Ravi Kant, Showkat Ali, Arshid Muhammad, Liyaqat Ali and Narender Singh, the bus driver.
The official said that the vehicle was coming from an Armed Police complex in Zewan towards Pantha Chowk. The bus ferrying policemen suffered immense damage while blood stains were visible on the seats and bullet marks from all sides, especially the front portion as suggested by the pictures viral on social media.
Inspector General of Police, Vijay Kumar, said that this evening a bus carrying 25 police personnel was attacked by 2-3 militants. “One of the attackers was shot but he managed to flee. JeM Tigers claimed responsibility”, he added.
The three injured policemen are critical who are being treated at Army base hospital at Badamibagh, Srinagar while others are stable. The traffic remained disrupted for almost an hour on the Zewan-Pantha Chowk-Khonmoh road and was later restored after the police bus was removed from the spot.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed condolences to the families, who lost their beloved in a militant attack at Zewan in Srinagar outskirts and also sought details of the attack.
The PM in a tweet sought details on the militant attack in Jammu and Kashmir. “PM @narendramodi has sought details on the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir. He has also expressed condolences to the families of those security personnel who have been martyred in the attack,” PMO India tweeted.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha while condemning the attack, directed the concerned authorities to provide best possible treatment to the injured cops.
He also stated that the Government is committed to ensure that the perpetrators are punished. “Strongly condemn the cowardly terrorist attack on J&K Police bus in Srinagar. My homage to our brave martyred police personnel. We are committed to ensure that perpetrators are punished. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families,” Office of LG J&K tweeted.
Sinha said that the police and security forces are determined to eliminate the militancy. “Directed the concerned authorities to provide best possible treatment to the injured. I pray for their speedy recovery. Our police and security forces are determined to neutralize the evil forces of terrorism,” Office of LG J&K tweeted.
Meanwhile, two militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) including a foreigner were killed in a brief shoot out at Rangreth area on the outskirts of Srinagar today.
Inspector General of Police, Vijay Kumar said that a small component of police established a check-point. “Two suspected persons, after noticing the police party, fired at the police indiscriminately. In retaliation, both were killed,” he said.
He identified one of the militants as Aadil Ahmad Wani son of Bashir Ahmad Wani, resident of Daramdoora, Shopian. “Another killed militant is a foreign militant, yet same is being further ascertained. Both the killed militants were affiliated with the LeT outfit”, he said.
As per police records, both the killed militants were involved in several criminal cases and civilian atrocities and played a key role in the number of recent killings in Srinagar City. “Arms and ammunition including two AK rifles and other incriminating materials were recovered from the site of the encounter. All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation and to probe their complicity in other cases,” the police spokesman said.
In the meantime, an SPO along with his associate guarding a BJP activist in Kupwara district decamped with two service rifles today.
The SPO identified as Saqib Tantray has decamped with two rifles of which one belongs to his colleague Arif Ahmed. “The SPO and his associate are missing. They hailed from Bohipora village of Kupwara,” an official said. He said that an alert has been sounded and every possible effort is being made to ascertain the circumstances and trace out the SPO and his colleague.
He also said that the SPO was deployed with BJP activist Abdul Rashid Zargar whose residence is at Anwarabad Sulkoot in Kupwara.
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