Militants shot dead a former officer of Jammu & Kashmir Police in a midnight attack in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district while two unexploded grenades triggered panic in north Kashmir’s Pattan area after unknown assailants attacked a mobile tower apparently to renew attacks on mobile telephony.
Sources said that motor-cycle-borne militants waylaid former Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Bashir Ahmad Dar (61) at Ashmuji village in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district and shot several times from a point blank range. Dar was coming out of a local mosque around 12:30 am after offering special Taraweeh prayers when attackers fired at him.
Dar received multiple shots in his abdomen, leg and shoulders. He was immediately shifted to Kulgam District Hospital where doctors referred him to Srinagar for an immediate surgery. However, he died at Sangam, almost midway between Kulgam and Srinagar.
Sources said that Dar had served in counter-insurgency wing of Police and had stints as DySP in Crime Branch and State Vigilance Organisation. He retired soon after being promoted as ASP in 2012 and was now running a gas distribution agency in Kulgam town. He had no apparent threat perception and was leading a normal life. His daughter said that militants did not give him a chance to use his personal weapon that he was always carrying.
locals said the attackers fled from the spot. The attack took place a few hours after militants shot at and wounded an elected village representative Mohammad Yaqoob Malla in neighbouring Shopian district.
Meanwhile, panic gripped Pattan area of north Kashmir when unknown militants hurled two grenades towards a mobile tower at Nihalpora village. The grenade did not explode. While a police party rushed towards the spot, a low-intensity mine blast took place. Deputy IGP (north Kashmir) Garib Das said the mine blast was carried out to target police but they escaped.