Two Jammu and Kashmir policemen and a civilian were killed when militants attacked a police party on Srinagar-Jammu highway near Pamore town of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.

Sources told Deccan Herald that militants opened heavy fire on a police team escorting Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) of 11 battalion Indian Reserve Police (IRP) Abdul Hameed, when he was attending nature’s call at Galendar, Pampore, 20 km from here, on Wednesday evening. Two policemen, who were escorting the officer, and a civilian were killed in the attack.

They said that after carrying out the attack, the militants decamped with a carbine rifle from the spot.

The slain civilian has been identified as Manzoor Ahmed Kasab, while Mohammad Yaqoob and Mehraj-ud-din are the policemen who lost their lives.

Sources said the police team led by the DSP was deputed to Kargil on the eve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit and was returning towards its battalion headquarter in south Kashmir when it came under sudden attack from a hit-and-run militant squad.

No militant group has claimed responsibility for the attack, which was the third on security forces in the past two days. A constable of Railway Protection Force (RPF) was on Tuesday shot dead by militants in Pulwama district. Eight BSF personnel, including an officer, were injured when militants attacked their convoy at Pampore on the intervening night of August 11 and August 12.