On Monday when Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed opened the famed Tulip Garden in Srinagar for tourists, suspected militants struck at three places in the Valley killing three policemen and injuring a former militant and a police officer.
The attacks have sparked a debate among observers about the challenges facing the PDP-BJP coalition in Jammu & Kashmir ahead of the summer when militants try to increase their activities. While PDP president and MP Mehbooba Mufti condemned the attacks, Director General of Police K Rajindra said such attacks would not erode the morale of the police force.
“No religion allows such dastardly acts of violence which lead to spilling of innocents’ blood bringing enormous tragedies to the families of the victims,” said Mehbooba, adding that violence in any form would not solve any problem.
A police spokesperson said three policemen — identified as head-constable Mushtaq Ahmad, constables Shabir Hussain and Nisar Ahmad — were killed when they were attacked by unknown militants in mountainous Shopian district of south Kashmir on Monday morning when they were on their way to village Amshipora for investigation of a case. And as they were about to reach the village some unknown terrorists fired on them indiscriminately. Sources said the uniformed policemen were travelling in a private cab without any weapon. The militants in combat fatigues waylaid the vehicle and fired upon the policemen. They died on the spot.
The area was cordoned off immediately after the attack but the attackers could not be tracked down till the filing of this report. In another incident, unknown assailants shot at and injured Rafiq Ahmad Bhat alias Rafiq Dada at Tral sub-district in south Kashmir. Dada, a former militant, received a bullet to lower part of his body. He was rushed to Srinagar for treatment.
Security in the area was immediately beefed up. Earlier, in the morning, police sub-Inspector Ghulam Mustafa was fired upon when he was travelling in a passenger bus near Mirgund in north Kashmir’s Pattan pocket. The critically wounded officer was shifted to a hospital for treatment.
DGP K Rajendra Kumar arrived from Jammu to take stock of the security situation in the Valley. He has said despite provocations, the Jammu and Kashmir Police (JKP) would continue its fight against terrorism and ensure peaceful atmosphere to the people of the State.
In a high-level meeting of police officers, the DGP said the police force will make all out efforts to foil the nefarious designs of the subversive elements and ensure security and safety of the people.