| Police officer killed in Bandipora shootout | | CM, DGP, IGP pay him floral tributes | |  S.Tahir-ul Haq
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Oct 7: A police officer, who was heading a Special Investigation Team (SIT), was killed on Wednesday in a brief shootout in Gund Dachin area of Bandipora district of north Kashmir.
A senior official told Early Times that a special police team from Rajbagh was chasing militants in the district. The police team fired at the vehicle carrying the militants who retaliated, which resulted in a brief shootout.
He said the militants emerged in front of a private vehicle and showered a volley of bullets upon SIT incharge, Inspector Altaf Ahmad present in it, killing him.
However, an authoritative sources informed Early Times that Altaf was tracking the movements of LeT militant Abu Qasim for a couple of days. In a bid to nab him, Station House Officer Bandipora and DySP Operations had laid a Naka near Bandipora town.
"He was following a Tata Mobile (JK05E-1096) used by militants and was sure that it would be intercepted at the naka and the LeT militant would be arrested. However, near Dachina village of the district, barely 4 km from Bandipora, the Tata Mobile over took his white ETIOS car.
Tata Mobile halted in front of the car and the militants came down from it and resorted to indiscriminate firing. Altaf fired a few shots from his pistol but was seriously injured.
Theo fficial said the slain police Inspector Altaf Ahmad Dar, son of Bashir Ahmed Dar of Zangalpora, Kulgam, sustained serious bullet injuries and was rushed to the nearby hospital for treatment from where he was removed to 92 Base Army Hospital Badamibagh Srinagar where he succumbed to his injuries.
DIG north Kashmir range Garib Dass said that on a tip off about the movement of militants on Srinagar- Bandipora road, Altaf Ahmad was chasing them.
In a brief shootout with militants, the officer sustained injuries and later died, the DIG said, adding that soon after the incident SOG and Army teams from 13 RR cordoned off Argam, Chitaybandey and other villages and launched a massive search operation to trace the hiding militants.
IGP Kashmir, Syed Javid Mujataba Geelani said that, "Altaf was one of our best officers, he has done tremendous work on anti terrorism front, it is a big loss for us.
Meanwhile, a wreath laying ceremony was observed in the honour of the slain cop. Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Director General of Police (DGP) K Rajendra Kumar, IGP Javaid Mujtaba Geelani and other police and civil officials paid floral tributes to the deceased cop. |
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