In a “daring” attack by terrorists on a police bus near Zewan area of Pantha Chowk in Srinagar, two Jammu & Kashmir Police officials, including an officer of the rank of Assistant Sub Inspector, attained martyrdom while 12 others received bullet injuries late on Monday.
The terror attack coincided with the 20th anniversary of 2001 Parliament terror attack in New Delhi.
The terrorist strike on the police party took place barely hours after two Lashkar-e-Tayyeba (LeT) terrorists were neutralised by the secuirty forces in the Rangreth area of Srinagar. One among the slain terrorists is believed to be a Pakistan-based foreign terrorist while the second one was identified as an “A’’ category terrroist Aadil Ahmad Wani of Shopian.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought details on the terror attack and expressed condolences to the families of the security personnel killed.
In a tweet, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said, “PM Narendra Modi has sought details on the terror attack in Jammu & Kashmir.
According to Director General of Jammu & Kashmir police Dilbagh Singh, “Police personnel belonging to the 9th battalion of armed police, deployed on various law and order duties, were returning to their battalion headquarters when they were targeted by the terrorists near Pantha Chowk in the Zewan area”.
Several vital security installations, including battalion headquarters of J&K Armed police were located in the area. The road where the terror attack took place witnessed heavy traffic and regular movement of security convoys in the evening.
Dilbagh Singh said, “A total number of 14 police personnel were injured in the attack. Four of them received critical injuries and were rushed to the nearby hospital”. Singh said, adding “Two police personnel later succumbed to their injuries while others were undergoing treatment”.
According to the twitter handle of Kashmir Zone police, “01 ASI & a Selection Grade Constable succumbed to their injuries & attained martyrdom”.
Initial assessment by the local police revealed the terrorists opened indiscriminate firing from two different directions in a planned attack. Initial reports indicated the terrorists emerged from narrow bylanes and opened indiscriminate firing on the bus ferrying police personnel.
The window panes and the front mirror were completely shattered in the random firing. Taking advantage of the darkness the terrorists fled away from the area without facing any resistance.
The armed police personnel, traveling in a non bullet proof vehicle, could not retaliate. This is the second attack which took place on a police bus in Zewan area of Srinagar. A similar attack took place on a police bus on September 1, 2017, in which one police personnel was killed while seven others received injuries.
The police personnel injured in the terror attack are: ASI Ghulam Hassan,Constable Sajjad Ahmad,Constable Rameez Ahmad, Constable Bishember Dass, Selection Grade constable Sanjay Kumar, SG CT Vikas Sharma, Constable Abdul Majeed, Constable Mudasir Ahmad,Constable Ravi Kanth, Constable Showkat Ali, Constable Arshid Mohammad, SgCt Safique Ali,Constable Satveer Sharma, Constable Aadil Ali.