SRINAGAR: Six policemen including a Station House Inspector (SHO) were killed in Lashkar-e-Toiba militants ambush at Achabal area in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Friday while a top Lashkar militant along with his two associates are feared dead in an encounter in Arwani.
The militants also disfigured the faces of the cops slain in the attack before walking away with their weapons, police said.
A sub-inspector, identified as Pulwama-resident Feroz, a driver and four other policemen, who were on a routine round in their jeep, died in the attack, said J&K DGP S P Vaid.
Terror outfit Lashker-e-Taiba spokesman Dr Abdullah Ghaznavi claimed responsibility of the attack.
The attack came hours after the outfit’s top commander Junaid Matoo along with two of his associates was trapped in a house and engaged security personnel in gunfight during search operation in Arwani area of Anantnag district.
The outfit wanted to take revenge for the Arwani encounter in which Mattoo, is believed to have died, said a police officer.
As security personnel were laying siege, the locals, mostly youth took to roads and pelted stones on the security personnel, who retaliated by firing tear smoke shells, pellets and live ammunition on the protestors.
Six persons were injured in security forces action. Of the six, two were hit by bullets and two by pellets.
The injured were shifted to nearby hospital, where doctors declared 22-year-old youth Mohammad Ashraf Khar as brought dead. He had sustained bullet injuries in chest.
After the civilian’s killing, more youth took to roads, staged protest demonstrations and pelted stones on the security personnel, who responded by firing tear smoke shells and bullets to disperse the protestors. A teenager who was hit by bullet succumbed to injuries.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident, a policeman was killed and another injured in militant attack while a civilian died in security forces firing in Srinagar on Thursday evening.
The separatist leaders have called for shutdown on Saturday against two civilian killings in security forces firing.