Militant attack in Kashmir kills police officer
Collected Photo
After a prolonged period of relative calm, another armed attack has taken place in Indian administered Jammu and Kashmir. Suspected militants opened fire on a police officer assigned to provide security for the Amarnath Yatra. The officer was critically injured at the scene and was later declared dead after being taken to a hospital.
The attack occurred at around 12:30 pm Wednesday in the Lal Chowk area of Anantnag town. The slain police officer, Ashiq Hussain Qureshi, was serving as a head constable. He was a resident of the Beerwah area in Budgam district of central Kashmir and a member of the Indian Reserve Police Third Battalion. He came under attack while on duty providing security for the Amarnath Yatra.
Immediately after the attack, security forces cordoned off the area. A search operation has been launched to identify and apprehend the attackers.
The Resistance Front, or TRF, an affiliate of Lashkar e Taiba, claimed responsibility for the attack in a post on social media.
Meanwhile, the attack is being viewed as a sign of renewed deterioration in the security situation after militant activity in the valley had declined. In recent weeks, security forces have conducted several operations against militants active in the forested areas of Jammu. Several security personnel have also been killed during those operations in the rugged terrain.
