The J&K police on Saturday said a non-local militant and his local associates from the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) were behind the killing of two policemen in Bandipora on Friday.
“A Pakistani terrorist opened fire upon the policemen. They couldn’t snatch the weapons [from them] due to the retaliation by the police. Two over-ground workers have facilitated the attacker,” IGP Vijay Kumar said.
The IGP held a meeting with the offices of the Army, CRPF and police in Bandipora. He asked the security forces “to jointly track the attackers by working out specific inputs and strengthening anti-militancy operations in the district”.
Police and Army officers visited Gulshan Chowk and inspected the scene. Senior constable Mohammad Sultan and constable Fayaz Ahmad died in the attack.
DGP J&K Dilbag Singh on Saturday visited the families of the deceased policemen.
Two policemen killed in Bandipora militant attack
While interacting with the family of Sultan in Sopore, DGP Singh said, “Every support would be provided to the family.”
He said the police have got some clues and are working to identify the terrorists. “There have been recent incursions by Pakistan in some places in which some Pakistani terrorists have infiltrated to this side. The terrorists are on our radar. I hope that Pakistani terrorists who have recently infiltrated will be neutralised soon as the operations are on against them.”
He said the main motive of the Pakistan-sponsored terrorists was to kill someone and harm the lives of people and their property. “The police along with other security agencies work for the security and safety of people so the police become the target. We have been fighting this war for the last 30 years and it is our responsibility to protect the lives and property of people.”
Hundreds of locals attended the last rites of the two policemen in their villages.
Paying his tributes, Peoples Conference president Sajad Gani Lone said in a tweet, “20 years ago, a policeman from Bandipore was killed alongside my father. My father was killed too. Saw photos of orphaned daughter and son. 20 years. No change in savagery. Remember just because today’s orphan doesn’t belong to you doesn’t mean tomorrow’s orphan won’t belong to you.”
He said he knew one policeman. “I knew him personally. The biggest threat that we as people face is that death has become a statistic. A good statistic and a bad statistic depending which side of the ideological divide you are on,” he said.
