Srinagar: Two policemen were killed on Tuesday after unknown militants attacked them at SMHS Srinagar and fled along with the jail inmate while as police has sounded alert across Srinagar district.
Official sources told news agency GNS that a jail inmate namely Naveed Jat alias Abu Hanzullah from Pakistan, who was arrested in 2014, was taken to hospital from central Jail Srinagar by police party.
In the meantime, some suspected militants opened fire upon the police party guarding the inmate Naveed, source said. Two policemen suffered injuries in the attack and in the melee the suspected militants escaped along with Naveed and fled from the spot. Both the policemen later succumbed to injuries and have been identified as Head-Constable Mushtaq Ahmad resident of Dildar Karnah and Constable Babar Ahmad Khan resident of Shangus Achabal.
Soon after the incident, SOG and CRPF have cordon off the entire area and launched massive searches to nab them. When this report was filed no one has been arrested so far.
Following the attack, police sounded an alert in the Srinagar district while as police has been asked to intensify the searches in all the entry and exit points in the city.
SSP Srinagar, Imtiyaz Ismail Parray told GNS that Naveed was brought from central jail for medical checkup. He had a scuffle with escorting police party and suddenly two persons appeared and opened fire. In the incident two policemen suffered injuries.
Meanwhile, DIG central Kashmir GH Bhat told GNS that rifle was not snatched by inmate Naveed. Someone from outside fired on the party. In the attack, one constable Mushtaq Ahmad died and another was injured.
DIG said that an alert has been sounded by issuing advisory across the police in Srinagar district to intensify the searches to trace out the fleeing inmate and his associates.
Police has procured CCTV footage and is trying to identify two other persons who officials say helped Naveed escape.
Naveed was close associate of Abu Qasim, a top Lashkar-e-Toiba commander who was killed in 2015 in an encounter in south Kashmir.
Meanwhile, a wreath laying ceremony of both the cops was held at District Police Lines Srinagar.
ADGP Munir Ahmed Khan led the police officers in laying the floral wreaths on the mortal remains of the martyrs. DIG CKR Ghulam Hassan Bhat, DC Srinagar Syed Abid Hussain, SSP Srinagar Imtiaz Ismail Parray and other officers of Police/CRPF/SSB were present during the ceremony, a police spokesman said. (GNS)
