One police personnel died and two others were injured after militants fired upon a naka party at Lal Bazar area of Srinagar city on Tuesday, Jammu and Kashmir Police said. The injured have been shifted to a hospital and the area has been cordoned off. The attack comes amid high security due to the ongoing Amarnath Yatra in Kashmir.
The militants opened firing on an inspection party outside GD Goenka School at Srinagar's Lal Bazar. Constables Fayaz Ahmad and Abu Bakar were injured in the attack.
"ASI Mushtaq Ahmad succumbed to his injuries and attained martyrdom. We pay rich tribute to the martyr for his supreme sacrifice made in the line of duty. Other two injured personnel are being treated," J&K Police said.
"Deeply saddened to hear about the militant attack on @JmuKmrPolice personnel deployed in Srinagar in which ASI Mushtaq Ahmed lost his life in the line of duty & two others were injured. My condolences to the family of ASI Mushtaq & prayers for the swift recovery of the injured," National Conference vice president and former chief minister Omar Abdullah wrote on Twitter.
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti described the attack as gruesome.
"Deeply saddened about the gruesome attack on police personnel in Lal Bazar. My condolences to ASI Mushtaq Ahmed’s family in this hour of grief & prayers for the two policemen critically injured," Mufti, also a former chief minister, tweeted.
The incident comes a day after top Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist Kaiser Koka and another militant were killed in an encounter with security forces in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir. The encounter broke out at Wandakpora in Awantipora area after security forces launched a cordon and search operation, PTI reported.
"Terrorist Kaiser Koka neutralised...Incriminating materials, arms and ammunition, including 1 USA made rifle (M-4 Carbine), 1 pistol and other materials have been recovered," a police spokesman tweeted. Koka was wanted in many terror-related incidents.
According to Union Ministry of Home Affairs data, a total of 82 foreign terrorists were operating in Jammu and Kashmir as on July 5, 2022, while there were 59 active local terrorists. The terrorists mostly belong to outfits like Lashkar-e-Taiba, its offshoot The Resistance Front, Jaish-e-Mohammad and Hizbul Mujahideen.
Different terror groups have recruited 700 local youths in Jammu and Kashmir in the last four years -- 187 in 2018, 121 in 2019, 181 in 2020 and 142 in 2021. By the end of June this year, 69 youths had been recruited by terror groups into their fold, data showed.
Security forces have eliminated 125 terrorists in 55 encounters so far this year. Of these, 91 were locals and 34 foreigners.
Besides, 123 terrorists were apprehended in these encounters.
(With PTI inputs)