3 cops killed as ultras strike in Srinagar

Hizbul claims responsibility

Militants targeted two police posts and shot dead three policemen, including an officer, in Srinagar on Monday. The attacks were the first major strike in the city in nearly three years.   

The first attack took place at Zadibal area of Srinagar at around 10.30 am. Police said two unidentified militants opened fire on a police party near Mill Stop in Zadibal, which connects the city to the Hazratbal Shrine and super-speciality hospital in Soura. The victims, identified as assistant sub inspector Nazir Ahmad and constable Bashir Ahmad, died on the spot.

An eyewitness told DH that the militants were riding a motorbike and they fired at the policemen from point-blank range. The slain officers were posted at nearby Zadibal station.

The area was cordoned off and senior police and paramilitary officers arrived at the spot to take stock of the situation.

Barely an hour after the first attack, militants struck another police party in Tengpora area of Srinagar around noon, leaving constable Mohammad Sadiq injured. The officer later succumbed to injuries. Police said the gunmen also stole the service rifle of the deceased policeman.

A senior police officer said this was a case of shoot-and-run and militants deliberately chose soft targets. “The slain policemen were unarmed and regulating traffic,” he said, and assured the assailants would be identified soon. Indigenous militant outfit Hizb-ul-Mujahideen claimed responsibility for both the attacks. Operational spokesperson of the outfit Burhan-ud-din was quoted by local news agency CNS as saying that the twin attacks were carried out by a special squad of the outfit. “The operation field commander of the outfit has directed the squad to intensify the attacks on the Special Operation Group of the police. Attacks on security establishments will continue,” the news agency, quoting the spokesperson,  warned.

Previous incident
The last such attack took place on June 22, 2013, when two policemen were shot dead at Hari Singh High Street in Srinagar.