Police officer martyred in militant attack

Martyr Mohd Ashraf Bhat
Martyr Mohd Ashraf Bhat

Militant killed in Shopian

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 19: A police officer was martyred outside his residence in Bijbehara area of South Kashmir’s Anantnag district this evening while a militant was killed in an ongoing operation in Shopian.
Militants this evening shot at and critically wounded Inspector Mohammad Ashraf Bhat, son of Mohammad Ramzan Bhat, outside his residence in Chandpora area of Bijbehara in Anantnag district. He was posted at Lethpora Pulwama and had returned home.
He was immediately shifted to Bijbehara hospital. However, the injured cop succumbed on his way to the hospital.
“Today at about 1830 hours, militants fired upon a police inspector identified as Inspector Mohammad Ashraf Bhat son of Mohammad Ramzan Bhat resident of Chandpora Kanelwan near his residence. The officer received gunshot injuries and was evacuated to nearby hospital. However, he succumbed to his injuries and attained martyrdom,” a police official said.

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“Police has registered a case in this regard under relevant Sections of law. Investigation is in progress and officers continue to work to establish the full circumstances of this case,” he said.
Senior police officers reached the spot and a massive operation was launched against militants responsible for the attack.
“To pay honour and respect to the martyr, a wreath laying ceremony led by IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar was held at DPL Anantnag, where floral tributes were paid to the martyr”, police said.
“DIG South Kashmir and SSPs of Anantnag, Pulwama and Awantipora besides, other officers and colleagues of the martyr also laid floral wreaths on the mortal remains and paid rich tributes to him”.
“Jammu and Kashmir Police stands by the bereaved family at this critical juncture and pay our rich tributes to the martyr ,” police said.
In the meantime, a militant was killed in an ongoing encounter in Melhora area of South Kashmir’s Shopian district today.
The encounter broke out in Melhora village after joint teams of security forces launched a cordon and search operation against militants. When the joint teams of Police, Army’s 55 RR and CRPF zeroed in on a spot where militants were hiding, they came under a heavy volume of fire.
In the initial exchange of fire, one militant was killed. The second militant fled from the house and took position in another house to keep security forces engaged.
”Since it is dark, lights have been installed and cordon layers tightened to ensure the hiding militant doesn’t flee,” police said. The body of the slain militant has been recovered and his identity is being ascertained.
A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) man was today injured in an attack in Gongoo area of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
Militants fired upon a joint team of forces near Peaks Automobiles in Gongoo area in which one CRPF man was wounded.
He identified the injured CRPF man as Bhupinder Singh of 182 battalion who sustained bullet injury in his leg and was shifted to hospital for treatment.
Two Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant associates were arrested in Chandooda village of Pattan in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district last evening.
They were apprehended by a joint team of Army’s 52 RR and police in Chandooda village of Pattan.
”Arms and ammunition including one UBGL grenade and 82 AK rounds were recovered from the possession of the arrested duo,” police said, adding that a case has been registered and further investigation has been taken up in this regard.