2 back-to-back militant attacks in J&K

NT Correspondent

Srinagar: A police officer and a civilian were killed in two separate back-to-back militant attacks in Kashmir on Wednesday, officials said. The attacks took place in Srinagar and South Kashmir’s Anantnag district around evening, according to J&K Police.

Officials said that the first attack took place in Srinagar, where a civilian identified as Rouf Ahmad was injured by militants at the Eidgah area. “The injured was shifted to SMHS (Shri Maharaja Hari Singh) hospital where he was declared dead. #Case registered, investigation going on,” Kashmir Police said on Twitter.

Soon after the Srinagar attack, Assistant Sub Inspector of Police Mohammad Ashraf was killed at Bijbehara in Anantnag district of South Kashmir in the evening.

Officials said the slain policeman was posted at Police Station Bijbehara. “Injured ASI Mohd Ashraf succumbed to his injuries & attained #martyrdom. We stand by his family at this critical juncture. #RIP #BraveHeart,” the police said in another tweet.

After the attacks, both the areas were cordoned off and a large number of security forces were rushed to the spots to nab the attackers. There have been a number of attacks on policemen in Kashmir recently.

Three JK policemen were killed and nearly a dozen others injured after militants attacked a police bus on the Srinagar outskirts last week. Earlier, two JK Policemen were killed in a militant attack at Gulshan Chowk of the Bandipora district in north Kashmir.

Several political parties in Jammu and Kashmir condemned the killings on Wednesday. “Unequivocally condemn the militant attacks on ASI Muhammad Ashraf in Bijbehara and civilian Rouf Ahmad Khan in Eidgah in which both lost their lives. Our hearts go out to their families, friends and colleagues. May Allah grant them a place in Jannat,” Jammu and Kashmir National Conference said.

JK People’s Conference also “strongly condemned the militant attack on ASI Ashraf and Rouf Ahmed.”

Reacting to the attack, JK’s Lt Governor Manoj Sinha said “the terrorists and their handlers responsible for these killings will be brought to justice soon.”