Terrorists shot dead three policemen shortly after abducting them from their residences in two villages of south Kashmir’s Shopian district on Friday for refusing to obey their diktat to resign from their posts. The killings triggered a spree of resignations of the Special Police Officers (SPOs) even as the officials maintained that no formal resignations have been received.

Sources said four persons, including three policemen, were abducted from Kapran and Batagund villages of Shopian district in the wee hours of Friday. Hours later, bullet-riddled bodies of the three SPOs were recovered from Lumni Wangam village in Shopian. The fourth abductee Fayaz Ahmad Bhat, who was brother of an SPO, was set free and returned home.

Police in a statement said preliminary investigation revealed the role of “terror outfits Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) and Lashkar-e-Tayyeba (LeT) in this barbaric act of terror.

Further investigation is going on to identify the culprits in the crime.”

The martyred policemen have been identified as Firdous Ahmad Kuchey (follower), Kuldeep Singh (SPO) and Nisar Ahmad Dhobi (selection grade constable). A Twitter handle purportedly belonging to the Hizbul Mujahideen group has claimed responsibility for the abduction and killing.

Acting police chief Dilbagh Singh told reporters that the police have conducted recent operations against the terrorists successfully and killings of SPOs shows their desperation.

Former Chief Ministers Farooq Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah expressed shock over the killings. The abductions and execution took place four days after terrorists had issued warning to the serving SPOs to tender resignations. Posters of banned HM outfit had appeared in the area earlier this week warning the SPOs to give up their jobs.

The SPOs are temporarily engaged cops working on consolidated remuneration between Rs 5,500 and Rs 6,000. The SPOs are generally engaged for menial works in police stations while many of them are involved in counter-insurgency operations. Most of the SPOs are not given access to firearms. Subject to satisfactory conduct, the SPOs are eligible to absorption in the regular constabulary after three years of service.

Terrorists have intensified attacks on SPOs. Last month, around two dozen SPOs resigned in Tral sub-district of Pulwama after separate attempts on the lives of their two colleagues in Luraw and Pastuna villages.

The killings took place at a time when the authorities have announced holding urban local body elections in October and panchayat elections in November and December. Even as notifications for two phases of municipal polls have been issued, no candidate has filed nomination papers in Kashmir.

Two prominent mainstream parties National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party have announced to stay away from the polls but the Congress has decided to take a plunge in order to “refuse open field to the communal forces of the BJP and the RSS”.

The killing of police officials has further reduced chances of turnover in the Valley. This is second direct attack on police personnel in less than a month’s time. Last month, 11 relatives of police personnel were abducted and later set free by the Hizbul Mujahideen that described the action as retaliation to security forces’ campaign against terrorists’ families and relatives. Shortly after the abductions, relatives of ultras, including father of Hizbul commander Riyaz Naikoo, were released from police stations. The action, however, is believed to be the primary cause for premature shifting of then police chief Shesh Paul Vaid.

Meanwhile, an alert was sounded in south Kashmir areas directing all the cops on leave to be alert and report back on duty at the earliest.

Top police officials immediately rushed to Shopian town after the cops’ bodies were found. A wreath-laying ceremony led by the Inspector General of Police (Kashmir range) was held before the bodies were handed over to the next of kin of martyred cops.

Sources said over 20 SPOs have announced their resignations through social media networking sites and also from mosques since Friday morning in Shopian district.

Latest reports said two SPOs apparently under terrorists’ captivity, announced their resignations and making appeal to other SPOs to follow the suit.

The J&K Police have denied any resignations of SPOs officially received by the department.

Former Chief Minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti blamed the Centre’s policies for the abduction and killing of three policemen saying that “dialogue, the only way forward seems to be a distant dream for now”.

“Three more policemen have lost their lives to ultras’ bullets. Outrage, shock, and condemnation will be expressed by all of us on expected lines. Unfortunately, it brings no solace to the families of the victims,” Mehbooba tweeted.

“Clearly, with the rise in kidnapping of police personnel and their families, the Centre’s muscular policy is not working at all. Dialogue, the only way forward seems to be a distant dream for now,” Mehbooba added.

The NC leaders Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah also condemned the killing of the SPOs while emphasising on resumption of dialogue process.

“Seeking dialogue with Pakistan is based on our aspiration to see an end to instability, violence, death and destruction in Jammu & Kashmir. We have always sought dialogue both on the internal and external fronts and will continue to seek dialogue regardless of how such genuine and practical appeals are distorted,” Omar Abdullah said here, adding New Delhi and Islamabad need to restore the credibility and sanctity of the institution of dialogue. “The State (J&K) has witnessed enough death, destruction, mayhem and turmoil and we cannot delay the resolution of the problem any longer,” he said.

CPI (M) leader and legislator MY Tarigami described the killings as ‘unfortunate and tragic’, saying the martyred policemen were unarmed.

“The martyred policemen were not on combat duty but were abducted unarmed from their homes,” he said.

Whose ‘cause’ is being served by such killings? Whether a person is killed by the bullet from one side or the other side, it is a Kashmiri who is losing a life. For how long such killings will continue?” he asked.