Five policemen and two bank security guards were killed in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Monday when a group of armed militants attacked a cash van of the J&K Bank.
The attackers decamped with four service rifles of the policemen, but no cash was looted.
A police official said the militants attacked the van, which was heading towards the Kulgam district headquarters after unloading cash at a branch in Nehama village.
The van, accompanied by a police escort, was stopped near Pombai village by the militants.
“The militants opened fire after the guards tried to repulse the attack. Five policemen and two bank officials were killed. No cash was looted,” said the police officer.
The deceased policemen were identified as assistant sub-inspector Muhammad Yousuf, and constables Farooq Ahmad, Mohammad Qasim, Mohammad Yousuf and Ishfaq Ahmad.
The two security guards killed were Javaid Ahmad Bhat and Muzaffar Ahmad.
Militant outfit Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HuM) claimed responsibility for the attack. “The attack was carried out by a special squad of the outfit which besides inflicting casualties also snatched four service rifles from the policemen. We had no intention to loot money,” said a Hizb spokesman. Police said three Hizb-ul-Mujahideen militants, including a resident of Souch village, carried out the Kulgam attack.
Meanwhile, a youth detained under the Public Safety Act for stone-pelting, fled from police custody in Shopian district on Monday.
