A policeman and a wheelchair-bound civilian were shot dead when militants attacked a police party guarding a famous shrine in Tujjar village of north Kashmir’s Sopore belt on Tuesday afternoon. The attackers sped away on a motorbike after snatching the service rifle of the slain cop, police said.
Sources said two motorcycle-borne militants arrived at the entrance of fortified shrine of Baba Ali Raina at Tujjar Sharief, around 50 kilometers from here on Tuesday afternoon. They opened fire on a policemen belonging to Indian Reserve Police (IRP) who was guarding the shrine while his colleagues were taking lunch at a distance.
The policeman identified as Fayaz Ahmad Bhat was hit in his abdomen and fell down immediately. Almost simultaneously, a regular devotee to the shrine, wheelchair-borne Abdul Rahim lone, was also hit who was a few meters away from the targeted cop. Eyewitnesses said they heard only one shot that created panic and everyone gathered around the shrine rushed for safety.
The bullet was fired from AK series rifle from a point blank range. Police are verifying whether the both the persons died with the single shot or not. The attackers immediately snatched Bhat’s INSAS rifle and sped away on their motorbike much before the other cops guarding the shrine could react to the attack.
The fallen cop and civilian were immediately shifted to hospital when Bhat was declared brought-dead by doctors.
Deputy Inspector General of Police (north Kashmir range) Gareeb Das said the wounded cop died on way while the civilian breathed his last in the hospital. “The Tujjar shrine is guarded by police. We are trying to ascertain as to why the post was attacked and who the assailants were,” Das said while confirming that the attackers took away the service rifle of the slain constable.
Sources said civilian killed in the attack was a frequent devotee who would arrive almost every day despite his physical handicap. He was shot while negotiating his wheelchair near the shine’s entrance.
The ruling PDP president and MP Mehbooba Mufti condemned the attack saying violence in any form was unacceptable and there was no place for innocent killings in a civilised society.
“No religion allows such dastardly acts of violence which lead to spilling of innocent blood and bring enormous tragedies to the families of the victims,” Mufti said in a statement.
The Tuesday attack is grim reminder of the reign of terror unleashed by militants of lashkar-e-Islam outfit, a breakaway faction of Hizbul Mujahideen that killed at least six persons during June and July months and unsuccessfully attempted to ban mobile telephony in the north Kashmir region.
The group is led by Abdul Qayoom Najar. Police have announced a cash reward of Rs10 lakh on his head. Das said it was premature to conclude that Najar’s group was behind the attack.
Meanwhile, an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was defused in Safapora area of Ganderbal district early on Tuesday.