Suspected militants killed the head of a police station in Chadoora town of central Kashmir’s Budgam district on Monday afternoon. His two bodyguards and a civilian were also injured in the attack.
Police sources said that three militants equipped with automatic weapons opened fire on a police patrolling party in crowded Chadoora market around 1.30 pm on Monday. The Station House Officer (SHO) of the area, Syed Shabir Ahmad was leading the patrol. The sudden and unexpected attack in an otherwise tranquil town left no room for the police team to retaliate before the attackers fled the scene, they said.
“The SHO was seriously injured in the attack. He was rushed to nearby hospital where doctors declared him brought dead,” a police official said. Eyewitnesses said that at least three attackers carried out the assault. One of the attackers was wearing a long Kashmiri cloak to hide his rifle. No militant group claimed responsibility for the attack. Rural Development Minister Ali Muhammad Sagar described the killing of SHO as inhuman and said that death and destruction was not a solution to any problem as such killings add to the suffering of the people. “Such killings are unpardonable and need to be condemned by all,” Sagar said.
Soon after the attack, the Army, police and the paramilitary CRPF cordoned off the area and started search operations. However, no one was arrested. Budgam SP Irshad Ahmed said that militants fired upon police officer from a point blank range. “Our police officer was shot by militants using automatic weapon. We have started an operation to nab the suspects,” he said.