Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, July 15: A former police officer was shot dead by militants in Kulgam district of South Kashmir last night.
Police said that Bashir Ahmad Dar, a retired Deputy Superintendent of Police was fired at Ashmujee in district Kulgam last night when he was coming out of Masjid after offering Taraveh prayers.
The two motor cycle borne militants were waiting outside the Masjid when he came out and they fired several rounds at him from their AK-47 rifle.
Dar was critically wounded and left in a pool of blood by his assailants who managed to flee from the spot. He was removed to the Srinagar’s SMHS hospital for treatment.
The police officer succumbed to injuries at the hospital, hours after he was taken there. He had received gun shots in abdomen, leg and shoulder.
The deceased, the police officer said, had served in different positions in the Crime Branch, CID, Vigliance and the DySP headquarters at Pulwama and Kulgam during his tenure.
The attack on the police officer came hours after a Panch, Mohammad Yaqoob Malla, was shot at and injured by gunmen in the neighboring Shopian district yesterday. He was critically wounded and is being treated at Srinagar hospital.
Police and Army immediately carried out searches in the neighbouring areas for the militants responsible for the attack but no one was arrested.
Dar is the second police officer who was targeted after retirement in recent years. In August 2012, a retired DySP, Abdul Hamid was killed in Batmaloo area of Srinagar for his alleged role in 2010 agitation in old city area of Srinagar.
Unidentified persons last night tried to blow a mobile telecommunication tower by lobbing grenades in Pattan area of Baramulla district in north Kashmir.
Reports said that two hand grenades were lobbed towards a tower in Nihalpora village of Pattan. However, the grenades did not explode. Later, bomb disposal squad was rushed to the area and the grenades were diffused without causing any damage to life and property.
Soon after the incident, the Army and police carried out massive search operations in the area to track down the attackers. However, no one was arrested when last reports came in.
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