Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Aug 18: Militants today attacked a police post guarding the shrine at Tujjar Sharief in Sopore area of North Kashmir’s Baramulla district killing a police constable and 70-year old man.
Reports said that two militants who came on a motor cycle fired upon the policeman, guarding the shrine, in Tujjar Sharief this afternoon.
The policeman identified as Fayaz Ahmad (belt No. 415 of IRP 13th Battalion) of Wadura, Sopore and a civilian Abdul Rahim Lone, 70, were injured in the firing. Both the injured were shifted to nearby hospital where doctors declared the cop as brought dead.
The civilian, Abdul Rahim son of Mohammad Kamal Lone, a handicapped person who was on wheel chair, succumbed to the injuries in the hospital. Rahim used to stay at the Shrine to attend the devotees.
Reports said that two militants carrying AK-47 rifle came on a motor cycle and fired at the lone shrine guard when there were around 25 devotees. The other three guards were having lunch in the guard room some 100 metres away when the militants carried out the attack.
Reports said one of the militants fired at the shrine guard while the other one snatched the INSAS service rifle from the injured cop. The militants boarded the motor cycle which they had parked outside on the road and fled away.
The other three guards immediately came out to assess the situation but the militants had already fled away.
Senior police, Central Reserve Police and Army officers reached the spot to assess the situation. They cordoned off the area and conducted searches and inquired about the attack on the Police post.
Police, CRPF and Army have also established check points on main roads to trace out the militants responsible for the attack. Police believed that the attack may have been carried out by the Hizbul Mujahideen militants.
The Deputy Inspector General (DIG) North Kashmir Range, Garib Dass, who also reached the spot, said that the police have registered a case and started investigation. “However, the identity of the attackers could not be ascertained,” he added.
The DIG said that today’s attack was an isolated incident of its kind. “I don’t see any such trend in North Kashmir where local boys are joining militancy,” he added.
Today’s attack is the first since series of attacks in May and June this year in North Kashmir when militants targeted telecoms and Hurriyat Conference activists and former militants killing six persons and forcing telecoms shut down.
However, security forces carried out massive operations against the militants in Sopore and its adjoining areas and restored the telecom services.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, has strongly condemned the killing of a policeman and a civilian in a militant attack on a police-post, outside the shrine of Sheikh Hamza Makhdoomi (RA), at Tujjar Sharief, Sopore, in Baramulla district today.
In his condolence message, Mufti Sayeed said those responsible for such dastardly acts have no respect for human lives. He said spilling blood of innocent persons unravels untold miseries upon the families of the victims. “There is no religion in the world which allows or justifies such inhumane acts where people are gunned down mercilessly in such a cruel manner,” he stated.
The Chief Minister expressed solidarity with the bereaved families of the policeman, Fayaz Ahmad Bhat of Wadoora, Sopore and civilian, Abdul Rahim Lone, from Tujjar, and prayed to Almighty Allah to give them courage to bear the loss of their dear ones. He also prayed for eternal peace to the departed souls and wished speedy recovery to those injured in the attack.
Follow our WhatsApp channel