Three days ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Jammu and Kashmir, militants shot dead two constables in an uptown business hub in broad daylight here.
Senior Superintendent of Police (Srinagar) Syed Ashiq Hussain Bukhari told The Hindu that two unidentified militants fired pistol shots on head constable Mohammad Maqbool of Pinglena Pulwama and constable Nazir Ahmed of Kulgam, when they were on duty on crowded Hari Singh High Street on Saturday.
Targeted with silencer-fitted pistols in point-blank range, one of the policemen died on the spot while the other succumbed to injuries at a hospital. Ishrat, a young woman from Ganderbal, sustained gunshot injuries in the arm. Doctors said she is out of danger.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to visit J&K on June 25.
Hizbul Mujahideen spokesman Baleeguddin told some local news agencies over telephone that members of his organisation had attacked the police party.
The incident has increased tension in the security circles as the militants were believed to have used a motorcycle to carry out the attack. Besides, the attack happened at a time when the police and security forces were on a high alert — frisking pedestrians and checking vehicles at several places.
