3 J&K Police men killed like lame ducks in Shopian

‘Militants are taking advantage of demoralisation in Police, armed forces. There’s apprehension of more such attacks’

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

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Jammu, April 6: Taking advantage of the new ruling dispensation’s political language in Jammu and Kashmir, which is believed to have caused some degree of demoralisation in Police and security forces, suspected militants on Monday gunned down three unarmed Police personnel in Shopian while simultaneously attacking a Sub Inspector of high operational profile in Pattan and a released militant in Tral areas of Kashmir valley. The fresh spell of violence---first in the valley since Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s PDP-BJP government assumed office on March 1st---ran parallel to Chief Minister’s throwing open Asia’s largest tulip garden in Srinagar where he described Kashmir “as peaceful as any other part of the country”.

Months after a series of militant attacks on the day of Pulwama-Shopian belt polling in the Assembly elections, suspected guerrillas spread a wave of terror with three major strikes. Sub Inspector Ghulam Mustafa of Mendhar, who was in the first group of J&K Police that had formed "Task Force", later christened as Special Operations Group (SOG), at the hands of then DGP M.N. Sabherwal in May 1994, was held on gun point from behind in a minibus he boarded at Parimpora, Srinagar, as usual, to reach his office at headquarters of IRP 3rd battalion at Parihaspora, Pattan.

“It appeared that a group of the militants from Sopore had carried out a reconnaissance survey of the routine boarding point of the Police official who has put in 21 years of impressive service in SOG and participated in hundreds of counterinsurgency operations”, said an official. He said that Mustafa was carrying a service pistol with him but was relieved of it on gun point.

Two or three gunmen, according to eyewitnesses, hijacked the Sopore-bound minibus. When it came to a halt due to a traffic jam short of Chhooru bridge, some of the traumatised commuters jumped out of it while screaming. Mustafa too began running away but the gunmen fired on his neck and escaped. He lay in a pool of blood and was rushed to SKIMS where doctors treated him on time. He was later declared out of danger.

In another incident, suspected militants fired a pistol shot on a released militant Rafeeq Ahmad Bhat alias Rafeeq Dada near SBI branch, at Tral. He was rushed to SMHS hospital, Srinagar. He too was treated on time and declared out of danger. Officials, suspecting a local militant of Hizbul Mujahideen responsible for the attack, said that the gunman's intention didn't appear to kill 'Dada'. "He perhaps wanted to only leave him injured", said an official.

3 cops gunned down in Shopian

The day's deadliest attack by suspected militants occurred on a group of three Policemen who were returning from an investigation into a local dispute from Amshipora village, in Shopian. According to the two civilian witnesses accompanying the police party, a group of six heavily armed men in combat dress stopped the policemen and asked them to follow. After walking a short distance, the gunmen emptied a full magazine of AK-47 rifle on the three policemen, killing them on the spot. Police later collected 22 empties with the three bodies from the spot.

The slain personnel were identified as Head Constable Mushtaq Ahmad Wani of Arigam Pulwama, constable Shabir Ahmad of Leh and Constable Nisar Hussain of Achhabal, Sopore.

Officials said that the Union Home Secretary would be visiting J&K later this week to have an on-the-spot assessment of the security scenario.

IGP Kashmir Javaid Mujraba Gillani, alongwith DIG South Kashmir and SPs of Shopian and Kulgam, participated in the wreath-laying ceremony at DPL Shopian. They paid rich tributes to the slain jawans and offered condolences to the bereaved families. Later, DGP K. Rajendra Kumar flew to Srinagar from Jammu. He presided over a meeting which reviewed the security scenario and pledged to fight terrorism with full zeal and zest. DGP said that such dastardly attacks on unarmed Police personnel would not deter Police force from wiping out terrorism and restoring peace to Jammu and Kashmir. He paid tributes to the slain policemen. Arrangements were underway to send Constable Shabir’s body to Leh by the State helicopter.

Reports said that hundreds of people and local police officers attended the two slain constables' funeral rites in Pulwama and Sopore.

Mehbooba condemns attacks; Ministers skip wreath-laying

Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed expressed shock over the three fatal casualties. His daughter and PDP President Mehbooba Mufti strongly condemned the killings and said that such attacks would not yield anything for the assassins. In a statement, former CM and National Conference acting President Omar Abdullah too condemned the terrorist action which left three unarmed policeman dead.

Asked why the militants had abruptly triggered off a wave of terror with today's killings and attacks, senior police officials said that such, and more, terrorist strikes were expected from militants as they had got "emboldened" by the way Police and security forces were being "disowned, discredited, denigrated and demoralised" by the mainstream political leaders of different parties.

"Not a single Minister or senior mainstream leader even attended the wreath-laying of the Police and army soldiers killed in Kathua and Pattan encounters last fortnight", said an officer.

Minister of Information Technology Imran Raza Ansari and IGP Kashmir Javaid Gillani had, however, visited a slain SPO's residence at Cheenabal. None of the five Ministers in Valley that day participated in the wreath-laying ceremonies at Baramulla or headquarters of Army’s 15 Corps in Srinagar.

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