3 killed in militant strike in Valley

On Wednesday evening, militants opened indiscriminate fire on DSP Abdul Hameed and his escort on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway at Galander, Pampore. Another person driving by was also hit by a bullet.

“Two police personnel and a civilian were injured,” police spokesman Manoj Kumar said. “All the injured were shifted to hospital for treatment. The civilian and a policeman have succumbed to the injuries”.

Police sources, however, say the other wounded policeman also succumbed at the Shri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) hospital in Srinagar.

Police have identified the killed personnel as Head Constable Mohammad Yaqoob and Constable Mehraj-ud-din. The civilian has been identified as Manzoor Ahmad Qasab of Awantipora.

Soon after the attack, police, paramilitary forces and Army personnel rushed to Pampore, cordoned off the area and launched a search operation.

The sudden spurt of militant attacks is a major concern for security forces, especially as security has been heightened across the Valley in wake of the Independence Day celebrations.