Awantipora (Pulwama), Aug 28: Two days after killing a CRPF man and a cop in twin attacks in Arwani and Awnura areas of South Kashmir, suspected militants Wednesday attacked Police Station Awantipora in district Pulwama on Srinagar-Jammu highway. Two civilians, including a woman, were wounded in the attack which came barely an hour after Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir, AG Mir left the police station. The firing took place at around 3:00 PM in the afternoon on a police party guarding the Awantipora Police Station on Srinagar-Jammu national highway, official sources said. They said police personnel fired back and in the ensuing exchange, two pedestrians were injured. “The militant fired from a vehicle towards the police deployment guarding the Awantipora police station, prompting the cops to retaliate,” they said. However, a Srinagar-bound Tavera passenger vehicle coming from Islamabad was caught in the cross-fire resulting in injury to the two civilians, eyewitnesses said. “Two civilians were injured when militants fired indiscriminately in Awantipora main Chowk this afternoon,” a police spokesperson said. Both the wounded were immediately shifted to SK Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) hospital, Srinagar where doctors stated their condition to be stable. The wounded have been identified as Farzana wife of Dr Suhail Ahmad Tari of Rawalpora, Srinagar and Rafeeq Ahmad Sheikh son of Muhammad Ahsan of Achabal of Anantnag district. Farzana has received bullet in her right thigh while Sheikh in his left ear, doctors at the SKIMS said. Police sources said the attack took place barely an hour after IGP Kashmir Abdul Gani Mir left the Police Station, where he held a security review meeting with the police officials. They said soon after the incident a cordon was laid by police, CRPF and Army to flush out the militants. “The militants managed to escape from the spot after carrying out the attack,” a police official said. So far, no militant outfit has claimed responsibility of the attack. The attack took place two days after Hizbul Mujahideen militants killed two security personnel and injured another in two separate attacks in Arwani and Awnura, Zainapora areas of south Kashmir’s Anantnag and Shopian districts. The militants who had come riding the motorcycle had also decamped with service rifles of the cops. Meanwhile, a police handout issued here this evening said that two civilians were injured when militants fired indiscriminately in Awantipora Bazaar this afternoon.
Posted on: Thu, 29 Aug 2013 04:47:10 +0000