Two foreign and one local militant of Jaish-e-Muhammad involved in attack: IGP Kashmir

Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kashmir range Vijay Kumar on Tuesday said that three militants of Jaish-e-Muhammad, including two foreigners and a local, carried out the attack at Zewan in Srinagar in which three policemen were killed and 11 others injured.

Srinagar (J&K): Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir range Vijay Kumar on Tuesday said that three militants of Jaish-e-Muhammad, including two foreigners and a local, carried out the attack at Zewan in Srinagar in which three policemen were killed and 11 others injured.

"The bus ferrying 25 policemen of ARP 9 battalion from Srinagar to police armed complex in Zewan was attacked at around 6 pm by three JeM militants including two foreigners and a local," Kumar said while talking to reporters on the sidelines of the wreath-laying ceremony of Constable Rameez Ahmed.

"Cops retaliated and didn’t allow militants to snatch weapons. Yesterday evening, two policemen including an ASI succumbed at the hospital and today morning one more policeman succumbed taking the total number of casualties in the attack to three,” he added.

While responding to the query, he said, "It was a planned attack as the militants fired indiscriminately at the bus that plies every day on the same route. Police are maintaining high alert and cops requiring travel from one place to another will be provided bulletproof vehicles."

"The attackers had done recce of the area and the attack took place when Road Opening Parties of security forces were withdrawn,” he added.

The IGP Kashmir claimed that JeM has already claimed responsibility.

“As I told you already that one of the three militants had sustained injuries in retaliation by our men, his blood trail was found in Khrew, Pampore wherefrom the group is believed to have fled to Tral. We have other leads as well and will track down the group soon,” he said.

Indian Army on Tuesday claimed to have killed one militant during a gunfight at Surankote area of Poonch district

“In a successful joint operation, Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir police eliminated one (militant) in Poonch,” a defence spokesman based in Jammu said in a statement.

He further said, "the operation was launched on 13 Dec 2021, on receiving specific Intelligence inputs of presence of armed (militants) in the area."

"During the gunfight in early hours on 14 December, the (militant) attempted to flee while opening fire at the security personnel. However (he) was neutralised in the ensuing fire,” he said, adding, “One AK-47 Rifle, four magazines and pouches have been recovered from the slain (militant).

The operation is still underway in the area.