Terrorists of the Hizbul Mujahideen outfit on Monday attacked a bank van in a bid to loot cash and killed five police personnel, including a junior officer and two bank guards, in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Monday afternoon, official sources said. The terrorists also looted four rifles belonging to the cops.
Inspector-General of Police (Kashmir Range) J Gillani said a local terrorist, who led the gruesome attack, has been identified.
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti condemned the attack by “unknown assailants”. “Mehbooba Mufti has strongly condemned the killing of five police personnel and two bank guards of a cash van by unknown assailants at Pombai Village of Kulgam district,” an official spokesman said.
In her statement Chief Minister said the officials were on duty to disburse and collect cash at a local bank branch and their killing reflects the dangerous criminal turn J&K society is taking.
Sources said a cash van of J&K Bank was on the way to Kulgam after dispensing cash at Damhal Hanji Pora, when terrorists wearing Army fatigues waylaid it near Pombai Village. As the vehicle halted, the terrorists fired on it indiscriminately.
The driver reportedly fled from the scene. A spokesman of J&K Bank said that there was no cash in the vehicle when it was attacked.
Deputy Inspector General of Police (South Kashmir Range) Swayam Prakash Pani confirmed the attack saying one of the slain policemen was an Assistant Sub-Inspector.
Witnesses said that shortly after the attack, the terrorists fled from the scene but residents of the area reached the spot and took the seven men to hospital. Doctors at the Kulgam District Hospital said that all the seven people were dead on arrival.
The bank guards were identified as Muzaffar Ahmed laway and Javaid Ahmed Bhat. The slain policemen have been identified as Ishfaq Ahmed Hajam, Muzaffar Ahmed Bhat, ASI Bashir Ahmed Dar, Muhammad Qasim Khan and Farooq Ahmed.
Talking to reporters Gillani said, “The attack was carried out by the Hizbul Mujahideen outfit. There were three terrorists and they were led by a local terrorist Umar Majid Wani.”
Meanwhile, the Hizbul Mujahideen claimed the responsibility for the attack. Burhanuddin, Operational spokesperson of the outfit said the attack was carried out by a special squad of the outfit who besides inflicting casualties also snatched four service rifles from the policemen.
“Operation Field Commander Mehmood Ghaznavi had hailed the militants and decided to reward them. Such attacks will continue in Kashmir Valley,” he said.