The Hindu : National : Two killed in attack by militants

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Sunday, Dec 31, 2006
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Two killed in attack by militants

Shujaat Bukhari

Militant disguised as woman opened indiscriminate fire in market

PHOTO: NISSAR AHMAD

INNOCENT VICTIM: A civilian, who was injured when militants opened fire on a police party in Pampore town on the Jammu-Srinagar highway, being taken to hospital on Saturday.

SRINAGAR : Militants struck on Saturday in Pampore town on the Srinagar-Jammu highway, killing a police officer and a civilian.Three others were injured.

Suspected militants fired upon Station House Officer Pampore Manzoor Ahmad when he was on patrol duty in the market. Witnesses said that one of them disguised as a woman approached him and opened indiscriminate fire. Manzoor, who was trying to disperse a crowd that had gathered to buy sheep for Eid sacrifice, and four others were injured.

The SHO was rushed to hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries on the way. The civilian victim was identified as Jan Mohammad. Two other civilians and a policeman were admitted to a hospital in Srinagar. The militants managed to escape.

Security forces have cordoned off the area to flush out the militants.

While the locals alleged that the civilians were injured in retaliatory firing, police denied this. Deputy Inspector General of Police, South Kashmir range, Hemant Kumar Lohia said that police observed maximum restraint and fired only in the air. The civilians were injured by firing by militants, he said. "If police had opened fire, many civilian would have been killed because there was a big crowd," Mr. Lohia told The Hindu .

Lashkar-e-Taiba, a militant group based in Pakistan Administered Kashmir, claimed responsibility for the attack in a telephone call to a Srinagar-based news agency.

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