Ultras attack J&K minister's house, policeman injured

Militants on Sunday night attacked the ancestral residence of Jammu and Kashmir Minister Farooq Abdrabi in south Kashmir’s Anantnag District, injuring one policeman. According to the police, the injured officer was taken to a hospital in Srinagar for treatment. Further details of the incident are awaited. Abdrabi is Minister of State for Haj and Waqf. Meanwhile, militants vandalised a senior police officer’s home in central Kashmir’s Budgam district on Saturday night, and took his son and nephew hostage before driving away in his car.

This is the second such incident this month. The militants, however, released the two boys after threatening them and setting the car ablaze, sources told DH. According to the sources, they entered Sub Inspector M Subhan Bhat’s house in Chadoora area of Budgam and frightened the residents. The militants told them they had come to kill the officer, who is currently posted at Baramulla district jail where hardline separatist leader Masarat Alam is lodged.

Following a tip-off from Bhat’s family and neighbours, a manhunt was launched in the area. But no arrests have been made so far. Jammu and Kashmir Police Chief S P Vaid said stern action would be taken against those responsible for the incident.

“The terrorists are feeling the heat and stooping low. Our humane approach should not be seen as our weakness. I will ensure the welfare of every personnel in my force, and such incidents will be dealt with an iron hand,” Vaid told reporters.
In the first week of March, a group of 10-12 militants had entered the house of a DSP in south Kashmir’s Shopian district and after ransacking it, warned the family of serious consequences if the officer did not quit his job. The DSP, who is posted in Srinagar, was not present at the time of the incident.

The threat, taken seriously by the police, had forced Vaid to engage with the militants. “Militants should realise they also have families. Let them (militants) take this as a warning,” he had said, referring to the ransacking of the DSP’s house.

“This is between the police and terrorists and families should not be brought into this conflict. If the police start doing this (threatening), what will happen to their (militant) families?” Vaid had said.

During the 2016 unrest, posters against some police officers had surfaced in their home localities, with messages asking them to stop “troubling” those participating in or spearheading the protests.

Meanwhile, a week ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to inaugurate the 9.2-km state-of-art tunnel, a high alert was sounded in Jammu city and its outskirts after suspected militants snatched an AK-47 rifle from a police constable at Tawi bridge. Reports said the attack took place at 10 pm on Saturday when constable Mohammad Hanief, posted as guard to Anjuman Minhaj-e-Rasool chairman Maulana Dehlavi, was walking down to the district police lines.

The police have arrested two suspects, Masood and Shahid, and launched a manhunt to track down the third accused Asif, who decamped with the rifle. The three have a police record of being stone-pelters and have been missing for some time. Hanief has been admitted to the Government Medical College in Jammu.