SRINAGAR: Striking for the second time in less than 24 hours in south Kashmir, militants on Saturday killed two police personnel in poll-bound Anantnag from where CM Mehbooba Mufti is contesting.
WASEEM ANDRABI/HTJ&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti lays a wreath on the coffins of three BSF personnel, who were killed in an attack by militants on Friday, on the outskirts of Srinagar on Saturday.In a targeted action against security personnel, suspected militants opened fire at a police party at the main bus stand in Anantnag at 11.20am, injuring assistant sub-inspector Bashir Ahmad and constable Reyaz Ahmad. Both succumbed to their injuries.
“Two policemen were killed when militants opened fire on them at around 11.20 in the morning,” a police officer at the Anantnag police control room informed HT, adding that it was not a police patrol party but they were duty.
The attack comes less than 24 hours after militants of banned Hizbul Mujahideen ambushed a BSF convoy in neighbouring Goriwan area at Bijbehara, killing three of its personnel.
Saturday’s attack in Anantnag is seen as an attempt by militants to scare the voters as Mehbooba is seeking her election to the state assembly from here. The seat, where elections are now scheduled to be held on June 22, had fallen vacant after the death of former CM Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. Police and CRPF are carrying out searches at various places to nab the culprits.
Opposition National Conference hit out at the PDPBJP government, saying, “Instead of making tall claims of improved ground situation on papers, the state government should do something concrete on ground and ensure safety and security of people.”
Party spokesperson Junaid Mattu said with elections round the corner in the assembly, ongoing tourist season and forthcoming Amarnath Yatra “one expects that security should be at its best. But every now and then, loopholes within the security establishment stand exposed”.
Pak not cooperating in Pathankot airbase attack probe: Rajnath
We allowed the Pakistani probe team to visit the airbase as a gesture of goodwill, but the neighbouring country again betrayed us. RAJNATH SINGH, Unionhome minister
PATHANKOT: Slamming Pakistan for not cooperating in the Pathankot airbase attack probe, home minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said this showed the neighbouring country was sponsoring terrorism from its land.
Rajnath, who was in the city on Saturday, said: “We allowed the Pakistani probe team to visit the airbase as a gesture of goodwill, but the neighbouring country again betrayed us. Even after five months of the attack, they are not allowing our National Investigation Agency team to visit their country as the agency has ample proof of Pakistan’s hand in the attack,” said the home minister.
Pakistan talks about Kashmir on every international platform, but it is not an issue, it’s PoK which needs to be discussed. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been trying to improve relations with neighbouring countries, but we have not received positive response from Pakistan,” he said. “We have heightened vigil along the borders by installing modern equipment and efforts are being made to check infiltration,” the home minister said while replying to a query.
Rajnath said the previous United Progressive Alliance government had broken all records of corruption, but no one could point a figure at the Modi government. “At 7.6%, India is the fastest-growing economy and we even hope to come closer or even surpass the US if this trend continues,” he said.
“We believe in procedural and structural development and our aim is to provide corruption-free and good governance,” he added.
Later, the home minister attended a function of BJP workers which was attended by minister of state for defence Rao Inderjit Singh and party’s national vice-president Satpal Malik.