Cardiologist injured, 2 policemen killed in militant attack

Kashmir's top cardiologist Dr Sheikh Jalal-ud-din was critically injured today in a militant attack which left two of his police guards dead in the highway township of Pampore in Pulwama district of south Kashmir.

Jalal (64), former Director of Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura, and his security guards were targeted by militants near his residence at Namblabal in Pampore, 16 kms from here, on Srinagar-Jammu national highway, police said.

While Jalal's two police guards died on-the-spot, the cardiologist was hit by a bullet in the left eye and was rushed to Soura medical institute in a critical condition, they said.

No militant outfit has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.

Police, assisted by security forces, have cordoned off the area and a hunt has been launched to nab the assailants, police said.

The attack comes a day after a top Hizbul Mujahideen militant was killed in a grenade explosion at Batmaloo in central Srinagar while he was being shifted to Baramulla district jail in a police vehicle.

Police blamed militants for the attack, but Hizbul Mujahideen accused the cops of stage managing the attack to eliminate Shakeel Ahmad Kasana, who was arrested last year.

Hizbul spokesman Baliguddin told a local news gathering agency that the outfit will carry out attacks to avenge Kasana's death.