KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
In an audacious attack, militants emerged in front of a branded private vehicle and showered a volley of bullets upon a police officer present in it, killing a tech savvy cop of Special Investigating Team of Jammu Kashmir Police in North Kashmir’s Bandipora district on Wednesday.
The slain cop was identified as Sub-Inspector Altaf Ahmed alias Altaf Laptop. He was resident of Zangalpora Kulgam.
He was tracking the movements of LeT militant Abu Qasim from couple of days. In a bid to nab him, Station House Officer Bandipora and Dy SP Operations had laid a Naka near Bandipora town. “Altaf was following Tata Mobile (JK05E-1096) used by militants and was sure that it would be intercepted at Naka and the LeT top militant would be arrested. However, near Dachina village of the district, barely 4 Kilometers away from Bandipora, the Tata Mobile over took his white colour private ETIOS car. Tata Mobile halted in front of the car and the militants came down from it and resorted to indiscriminate firing. Altaf fired few shots from his pistol but was seriously injured,” reliable sources informed CNS.
The injured police officer was immediately airlifted to Badamibagh based 92 Base Army hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
Reports said 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 militants.
“Chopper was used to track the movement of militants. Reinforcements were rushed to the spot to ensure that the militants responsible for the attack are prevented from escaping,” said a police official.
IGP Kashmir Syed Javaid Mujtaba Geelani said that the slain police officer was an asset to the department. “Altaf had done a tremendous job on anti-terrorism front. It is really a big loss for us,” he said.
“He was called Altaf Computer. He was a computer expert who tracked militant activities,” said a local of Zangalpora Kulgam, Altaf’s native village. Son of Bashir Ahmed Dar, Altaf is survived by his wife and two little kids.
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 K Rajendra, IGP Javaid Mujtaba Geelani and other police and civil officials paid floral tributes to the deceased cop.
Meanwhile, KNS quoted DIG North Kashmir, Gareeb Das, as having said that they (police) do not have specific inputs about Qasim, but “may be” he was also with the militants who fired at police. Reports had said that LeT Commander Abu Qasim was also among the militants who fled.
