Young police officer shot dead at point-blank range in Srinagar

Young police officer shot dead at point-blank range in Srinagar

Assailants identified, says DGP

SRINAGAR: A police officer was specifically targeted and killed by a pistol-borne militant in Srinagar’s downtown on Sunday.

At a stone’s throw from Police Station Khanyar, Sub-Inspector Arshid Ahmad was shot dead at point-blank range by an unidentified militant.

The entire incident was caught on CCTV.

Posted as SI on probation, Ahmad was coming out of a government hospital, where he was escorting an accused who had to be medically examined, when he was shot at.

The area is in close vicinity of Police Station Khanyar, where the office of Superintendent of Police (north city) is also located. There are police patrol parties on all sides of it and frisking of people is carried out at many points.

J&K Director General of Police Dilbagh Singh told reporters that the slain was a young brave officer at just the beginning of his services.

“It is a very tragic incident. We have lost a brave young officer who was just at the threshold of the service,” Singh said. “He was deputed for the medical check-up of an accused person, and while he was coming out, he was shot.”

He said that the officer was immediately shifted to hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

“It is a tragic loss for us and his family,” Singh said.

He also said that the perpetrators of the crime have been identified, and would soon be brought to justice.

Attacks on policemen, politicians and activists have been happening without a break in Kashmir. When asked about it, Singh said that police have so far eliminated all the 12 modules which have been operating in Srinagar. “But as soon as they are dead, they get replaced by new ones,” he said.

“And we have identified them too. The action against them will start soon,” he said.

Arshid Ahmad was a resident of a remote village in Kupwara. He was recruited in 2018. His body was later sent to his home for the last rites.

Following the attack, the area was cordoned off and search operations launched to nab the attackers.

Political leaders, including former J&K chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, have condemned the killing.

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