A Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) officer was killed in a militant attack in Wagoora area of Nowgam in central Kashmir’s Budgam district on Friday night, as the death toll in militancy and anti-militancy operations crossed 50.
A police spokesperson said assistant sub-inspector of CISF Rajendra Prasad sustained serious bullet injuries when militants lobbed a grenade and fired indiscriminately near grid Station Wagoora in Nowgam during the intervening night of Friday and Saturday.
He said the attack was “successfully repulsed” by the alert sentry at the spot. The injured CISF officer was evacuated to the hospital, where he succumbed, the spokesperson said, adding the area has been sanitized by the security forces.
On Friday three soldiers were killed in separate militancy and stone pelting incidents in Kashmir. Sepoy Rajendra Singh, who was part of a quick reaction team which was providing security to a Border Roads Organisation (BRO) convoy on Thursday, died at a hospital here after he sustained head injuries during stone-pelting by a group of youths, the army said.
Another soldier was killed in an encounter in north Kashmir’s Sopore area in which two militants were also killed. A soldier was killed in a militant attack in Tral area of south Kashmir while another was injured on Thursday night.
There has been a spurt in violence in the Valley since last one month. According to official figures—from September 27 to October 27—at least 50 people were killed in Kashmir. These include 28 militant, 14 civilians and eight police and other security personnel.
This tumultuous period saw at least nine shutdown calls given by separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik, against civilian and militant killings, while the government responded with stringent curbs. The tourism sector has suffered immensely due to the prevailing situation, according to stakeholders.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir, Swyam Prakash Pani says militant recruitment has gone down to a large extent. “We are doing our job in most professional manner and making all efforts to curb the (militant) recruitment. We are also committed to tackle militant-violence,” he told reporters.
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