Srinagar: A Jammu and Kashmir policeman was killed and another critically injured when militants targeted them at a bus stand in southern Anantnag town, 55-km from here, on Saturday.
The terror attack took place while visiting home minister Rajnath Singh had begun holding meetings with government functionaries, security forces officials and various stakeholders on the prevailing situation in the restive state.
The police said that the policemen were out on routine duty when the militants fired indiscriminately, injuring Imtiyaz Ahmed and Shakeel Ahmed.
They were rushed to a nearby hospital where the former was declared dead on arrival. Earlier, a Hizb-ul-Mujahideen commander was killed in an encounter with the security forces in Reban village outside the town of Sopore.
Slain militant Shahid Ahmed Sheikh alias Shabir was the district (Baramulla) commander of the Hizb.
A fire fight between militants and forces was also raging in Burbugh village of Imam Sahib area in southern Shopian district. So far, one militant has been killed and a local girl was injured in the clash.
He added that the J&K police’s counterinsurgency Special Operations Group (SOG) along with the Army’s 22 Rashtriya Rifles and jawans of the CRPF’s 92 and 179 battalions laid siege to Dangarpora, Reban village of Sopore to launch a cordon-and-search operation. “During the search operation, terrorist hiding in the area fired upon the joint search party. The fire was retaliated ensuing an encounter,” he said adding that the slain man who was earlier affiliated with Jaish-e-Muhammad was involved in “many anti-social, anti-national and criminal activities.” One AK 47 rifle with two magazines and 23 rounds of live ammunition, one grenade and pouch were found on the slain militant, he said.
