JOIN USA former militant who is now a deputy sarpanch was allegedly shot at and wounded by unidentified persons in North Kashmir’s frontier district of Kupwara on Wednesday. In South Kashmir, militants fired upon a special operations group party at a busy marketplace.
Deputy Sarpanch Noor Mohammad Khan (50), a resident of Bongam, Hyhama, 110 km from here, reported at the police station in an injured condition.
According to police, Khan stated that he left home early in the morning to go to a mosque for prayers. “When he reached the compound of the mosque, gunmen fired at him, injuring his left arm. Khan was admitted to Sub-District Hospital, Kupwara,” police added.
Sources told Deccan Herald that Khan, a former militant, was shot at by two assailants who were carrying a locally made gun. “He has given the names of two suspects with whom he had some personal animosity,” they added.
No arrest has been made in this connection so far. A senior police officer said that initial investigation did not reveal the involvement of militants in the case. Meanwhile, a teenage boy got injured in the Uri of north Kashmir on Wednesday when he was working in his field and a blast due to some explosive substance occurred.
Police said Mohammad Maqsood Mir, 16, has been shifted to Uri hospital for treatment where his condition is stated to be stable.
Police party fired at In Shopian, militants fired upon a police party. No one, however, was injured in the shootout. Reports said unidentified militants opened fire on a party of Jammu and Kashmir Police’s Special Operations Group (SOG) when they were passing through Imamsahib area, 55 km from here.
Eyewitnesses said the SOG party headed by Deputy Superintendent of Police Mohammad Irshad were busy making purchases in the market when the militants fired upon them.
The policemen fired back and the shootout lasted for some 10 minutes. Gunshots created panic in the area and instantly all the shops and business establishments downed shutters, they added.
Immediately after the shootout police and paramilitary CRPF personnel cordoned off the area to nab the assailants. No arrests were made however.