Four cops killed by militants in Kashmir’s Shopian

Four policemen were killed in a militant attack on a police post guarding the minority community in Zainapora area of south Kashmir’s Shopian district on Tuesday.

A police official said a group of heavily armed militants opened fire at the police post-Zainpora, Shopian, 52 km from here, in the afternoon. In the attack, four policemen suffered fatal bullet wounds. They were rushed to a nearby hospital, where all of them succumbed to injuries, he added.

The militants after carrying out the deadly attack decamped with four service rifles from the policemen, sources said. The attack was so intense that policemen didn’t get time to retaliate. The policemen were keeping watch on a residential area and were inside their guard room when the militants fired at them.

The slain cops were identified as constable Anees Ahmad (Belt No. 480/SPN), selection grade constable Abdul Majid, constable Mehraj-ud-din (477/SPN), and constable Hameedullah (860/SPN). Soon after the attack, a joint team of army and police launched a hunt to nab the assailants.

Former chief minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah condemned the attack. “I strongly condemn the attack on the police post in Shopian & condole the deaths of three police personnel in the line of duty. I pray for their souls & for the speedy recovery of those injured in this attack (sic)," he wrote on Twitter.

Earlier on August 29, militants had killed equal number of policemen in the same district when they attacked the escort party of deputy superintendent police (DSP) headquarters, Shopian at Arhama village.

On October 28, an officer of Jammu and Kashmir police’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) wing, on way to home, was shot dead by militants in neighbouring Pulwama district.

For over a year now militants have been warning local policemen and political workers to quit their jobs and not to take part in political activities respectively or be ready for the dire consequences. Nearly 45 cops have been killed in militancy-related incidents this year while over a dozen political workers were shot dead.

A senior police officer said militants know that the police are an important component of anti-insurgency operations and want to demoralise the force by targeting them and their families.

“Militants are increasingly attacking policemen and political workers to make the police department and democratic institutions defunct in the Valley like early 1990’s. They have clear cut instructions from their handlers across the border to target them,” he revealed.