Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, July 25: Militants this evening shot dead a police constable who was regulating traffic at Bijbeheara in the South Kashmir district of Anantnag.
The Deputy Inspector General of Police, South Kashmir range, Vijay Kumar, told Excelsior that constable Mohammad Altaf of Police Station Bijbehara who was regulating traffic near Goriwan Chowk in Bijbehara area of Anantnag district was fired at by militants injuring him critically. “He was removed to SKIMS hospital Srinagar where he succumbed to injuries. He was hit in the abdomen and chest”, he added.
Kumar said that Mohammad Altaf Gania (belt no. 935) son of Gul Mohammad Gania of Ganderpora, Eidgah Srinagar was posted in Police Station Bijbehara. He said that this evening he was regulating traffic and was not carrying any weapon when two mortar cycle borne militants fired at him with a pistol from close range. He said that militants fled after carrying out the attack leaving the constable in a pool of blood. He was immediately rushed to the hospital where he died.
DIG said that they had inputs about the possible militant strike in Anantnag district today and security forces were already alert. He said that there was deployment of the security forces in the township but not at the place where the cop had gone to regulate traffic.
Senior police and security forces officials rushed to the spot to assess the situation. The traffic on the highway remained disrupted but was later regulated but there was a huge traffic jam caused after the attack.
Kumar said that the security forces have launched a man hunt to nab the culprits behind the killing of the constable. However, so far no one was arrested.
In the meantime an Over Ground Worker (OGW) of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) was apprehended with a pistol and grenades in a joint operation by Police and Army in Pattan area of Baramulla district last evening.
A Police spokesman said that acting on a specific information, Baramulla Police along with 29-Rashtriya Rifles (RR) of Army laid a Naka at Baba Teng, Pattan last evening. He said that during the search at the naka an OGW of LeT outfit, Parvaiz Ahmad Khuroo son of Ali Mohammad resident of Chanpora Sopore, was arrested.
The spokesman said that a chinese pistol, with one magazine, five pistol rounds and two grenades were recovered from him. Pattan police have registered a case in this regard and investigation is on.
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