Four policemen were killed in a militant ambush outside the Kashmiri town of Sopore on Friday evening. The assailants fled the scene of crime along with the service rifles of the slain policemen and a massive manhunt for them is underway, reports said.
Police sources here said that a police party was on way to Haigam after police station at Charoo was informed over the phone that burglary incident has taken place in the neighbourhood village. But the moment police “Rakshak” vehicle entered the village, militants attacked it with automatic rifles from all sides leaving no chance for the policemen onboard to retaliate. All the four later identified as head-constable Abdur Rahim, constable Mudassir Ahmed and SPOs Gulshan Ahmad and Mudassir Ahmad Parry were killed on the spot, officials said.
Police reinforcements have been joined by paramilitaries to lay siege to a vast area around the scene of attack to track down the assailants. The major militant strike comes days after senior security officials claimed Sopore and its adjoining areas in northwest Kashmir have been “cleared” of Lashkar-e-Tayyaba militants. Last week, the police had arrested top Lashkar commander from Pakistan Qari Naveed alias Fahadullah from the area and in a separate action killed a prominent local militant Shabir Ahmed Sheikh in the village of Palhalan.
Officials said the phone call made to report the robbery was being traced as police suspect this could have been a hoax to lead the police party into a trap. No militant outfit has so far claimed responsibility for the attack, so far.