A junior officer of the Jammu and Kashmir Police was killed and three constables injured in an encounter with a militant in Sopore, in north Kashmir, on Tuesday.
Inspector General of Police Abdul Gani Mir told The Hindu that a unit of the Special Operations Group of the Jammu and Kashmir Police rushed to raid a hideout immediately after getting tip off about a militant’s presence in Chhankhan neighbourhood.
“As soon as our men jumped out of a bullet-proof bunker to swoop down on the hideout, the holed up militant lobbed two hand grenades. Assistant Sub Inspector Kafeel Ahmad Mir dropped his AK-47 accidentally. As he made an attempt to seize the gun, the militant took it away and fired bursts on the ASI,” Mr. Mir said. The militant escaped with the AK-47.
Troops from a nearby camp of the Rashtriya Rifles, the SOG Sopore and the CRPF carried out a cordon-and-search operation but failed to find any clue with regard to whereabouts of the militants. Unconfirmed reports said the police had specific information about the presence of top wanted local militant, Mohammad Muzaffar alias Muz Maulvi. Along with, Qayoom Najjar, Maulvi tops the list of all Kashmiri militant in Sopore.
Hizbul Mujahideen’s spokesperson Baleeg-ud-din claimed responsibility for the attack.
