Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, June 22: Ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to the State, militants this afternoon struck in the heart of Srinagar’s busy market place of Hari Singh High Street killing two police men and injuring a girl.
Militants fired at two police men who were performing their duty in Hari Singh High Street, Srinagar from point blank range leaving them in a pool of blood. The killing led to panic in the market place with people, vendors and shopkeepers fleeing to safety. Militants fled after carrying out the attack.
Police immediately rushed to the spot and fired in air. The two police men who were in a pool of blood were removed to the SKIMS hospital in Soura for treatment. However, both of them were declared dead at the hospital.
Police identified the two cops as Head Constable Mohammad Maqbool Mir (Belt No. 971/S) son of Ghulam Ahmad Mir of Gondipora in district Pulwama and Selection Grade Constable Nazir Ahmad Hajam (Belt No. 1405/S) son of Ali Mohammad of Shurath in district Kulgam.
The injured girl has been identified as Ishrat daughter of Ali Mohammad Magrey of Ganderbal . She is being treated at SKIMS hospital and her condition is stated to be out of danger.
Senior police officers including Inspector General of Police, Kashmir range, A G Mir and SSP Srinagar Ashiq Bukhari rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation.
The area was sealed immediately and traffic was diverted through M A Road and was restored after an hour. However, no one was arrested by the police.
A senior Police officer said that they had inputs about the militant strike in Srinagar and were on high alert since yesterday. He said that cordon and surprise security checks since yesterday were part of the security drill to prevent the attack.
It may be mentioned here that police and CRPF yesterday carried out surprise security checks and frisking of vehicles and passengers at several places across the city after they received inputs about the possible militant strike.
IGP Kashmir range, Abdul Gani Mir told reporters after wreath laying ceremony at District Police Lines Srinagar that security in view of Prime Minister’s visit will be further strengthened. Prime Minister’s visit is scheduled for next week.
“This attack is not related to the PM’s visit. This is not the first such kind of incident. These kind of incidents have been taking place in Srinagar in the past. We have earlier said militants are active in Kashmir”, said Mir.
The IGP said “we have killed those militants in the past who carried out attacks in Srinagar”.
Mir said investigations into the attack were going on. “The attack was carried out by Hizbul Mujahideen”, he said.
A police spokesman said here that Head Constable Maqbool is survived by aged parents, wife, three daughters and a son while Nazir Ahmad is survived by aged mother, wife, a 10 year old son and a seven years old daughter.
The bodies of the two police men were sent to their families for last rites after wreath laying ceremony was held at the DPL Srinagar.
The wreath laying ceremony was attended by Advisor to Chief Minister, Qamar Ali Akhoon, Minister of State for Animal Husbandry, Nazir Ahmad Khan Gurezi, Director General of Police Ashok Prasad, ADGs, IGs, DIGs, SPs of different wings of Police, security forces officers and jurisdictional police officers of Srinagar police.
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