Srinagar: Director General of Police J&K, Dilbagh Singh Sunday said that they had lost a “brave, well-trained and experienced” cop in ASI Babu Ram killed in a gunfight with militants in Srinagar’s Pantha Chowk tara on Saturday night.
Three militants were also killed by the forces in the gunfight.
Speaking at Ram’s wreath laying ceremony in Srinagar, Singh said that the three-bike borne militants had first fired at a joint naka party in a bid to snatch weapons.
“But alert forces foiled their plans forcing them to leave behind the bike and take shelter in a nearby house, ” the DGP said.
He called Ram a “brave cop, who was well trained and had been part of anti-militancy operations since long”.

As per Singh, the three slain militants belonged to Lashkar-e-Toiba and one of them was a commander active since past over a year.
The forces had brought the families of two slain militants from the Pampore who appealed their children to surrender.
Singh said they refused and instead fired at the forces triggering a gunfight resulting into killing of the three militants and ASI Ram.

An AK-47 rifle and pistols were recovered from the slain militants, Singh said.
Asked whether the three slain militants were involved in the August 14 Nowgam, Srinagar attack where two cops were killed, the DGP said that police was investigating and nothing can be stated at this juncture. (KNO)

Reader correspondent