Two cops killed, another hurt in Pulwama attack

Two policemen were killed and five CRPF men and a cop injured in twin militant attacks in volatile south Kashmir on Tuesday.
SSP Pulwama, Mohammad Aslam Chaudhry told Kashmir Post that militants fired towards a sentry post inside court complex in outskirts of Pulwama district early this morning.
“Two police men were killed and another injured in the exchange of fire with militants,” he said.
The injured police man identified as Manzoor Ahmad was shifted to Srinagar hospital for treatment.
The deceased policemen were identified as GhulamRasool Lone son of Mohammad Afzal Lone of Gagal village of Kupwara and Ghulam Hassan Chopan son of Wali Mohammad Wagay of Wohlitra village of Baramulla.
A police official said police post located in district court compound at Waguma on Pulwama outskirts was attacked by militants at around 3:30 am.
“Militants fired upon police men guarding the court complex with automatic weapons, killing two policemen and injuring another,” he said.
A senior police officer said militants forced their entry into the guard post and fired at cops from close range.
“There was retaliation. However, the attackers managed to escape taking advantage darkness,” he said.
According to sources, the low high of the perimeter wall of the court complex is also believed to have helped militants escape along with two rifles of policemen.
“We are ascertaining whether Hizbul-Mujahideen or Jaish-e-Mohammad is behind the attack,” said SSP Pulwama.
The residents of Waguma said that they heard loud and intense gunshots for few minutes. “After intense gunshots, we heard some gunshots of low intensity and then there was calm.”
Soon after the attack, reinforcements were rushed to the spot and troops launched searches to nab the attackers.
However, militants decamped with two service rifles of the policemen before fleeing from the spot.
Later, a wreath laying ceremony was held for slain police men at district police lines Pulwama. It was attended by top police, army, CRPF and civil officials.
Lone is survived by three minor children including two sons AzharRasool, 7th class student, BasitRasool 7 years old and daughter MisbahRasool, 9 years old, and wife while Chopan is survived by aged parents, wife and three children.
Meanwhile, militants lobbed a grenade towards a CRPF party at JanglatMandi in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district this morning.
The grenade exploded with a big bang, injuring 10 CRPF personnel and a civilian.
The injured were hospitalised.
The injured CRPF men were identified as Panda Ram S/o Umbar Ram, BootaSingh S/o Roop Singh, Subash S/o KadhiNath, Vijay Kumar S/o Sridoma, Narveer Singh S/o Sri Ram, Jeet Ram S/o Bari Singh, Manbinder S/o Tarapato, Hari Shankar S/o Janardan and Porna Chandra S/o Lakh Raman.
Meanwhile, Jaish-e-Mohammad claimed responsibility of the grenade attack on CRPF in Anantnag.
The JeM spokesperson claimed that two CRPF men were killed and ten others injured in the attack.