Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, May 25: Militants today killed a security guard of National Conference leader and former MLA in Pulwama and an Army porter in Kupwara.
A policeman was today killed as militants struck at the security guards of a former MLA in Pulwama district.
Police said that the incident took place in Monghama village where the former National Conference MLA Ghulam Mohiuddin had gone to attend a marriage function.
His Personal Security Officer (PSO), Shabir Ahmad, and another guard were waiting in a private car outside the venue when three pistol-borne militants struck.
The militants tried to snatch the service rifle from the PSO which led to a scuffle during which Shabir Ahmad received minor injuries on the face.
Militants then fired a few shots, resulting in injuries to constable Riyaz Ahmad Ganie. He was hit in the throat and succumbed to his injuries later at a hospital.
The militants fled from the site along with the weapon of the PSO taking advantage of the panic which followed the shooting.
Meanwhile, in the morning, militants killed a porter working with Army in Kupwara. Liyakat Ali who was working as porter was fired upon by militants at Waderbala. The injured was rushed to hospital where he was declared as brought dead.
A massive hunt has been launched to nab the gunmen who managed to escape after killing the porter.
In the meantime, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Kilo Force, Major General Jarken Gamlin, today said that there are 50 militants operating in North Kashmir and Army is ready to foil their designs.
The GOC while speaking to Excelsior after a function at North Kashmir said there are nearly 50-60 militants active in Kilo Force area including Sopore, Handwara, Kupwara and Bandipora ‘but the Army is ready to foil their every design’.
“The militants always try to infiltrate and we have been receiving intercepts about infiltration from some time but our army is ready to eliminate them and we always eliminate them whenever they come into our reception area.” he said. He said the Army recently conducted one of the major operations of this year in Drugmulla area of Kupwara where five foreign militants were gunned down in a day-long operation.
“The successful operations give us encouragement. We will continue to eliminate them,” the GOC said. In reply to a question regarding militant strike in Srinagar’s Tengpora area, which falls in the domain of Kilo Force, the GOC said: “The militants are always here to carry out attacks but we also are here and we will foil all designs.”
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