- Attackers decamp with 4 rifles
- Hizb claims responsibility, says it didn’t kill bank employees
Five police men and two guards of Jammu and Kashmir Bank were killed when militants ambushed a cash van of the bank in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Monday.
The militant group Hizbul Mujahideen has claimed the responsibility of the attack.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir SJM Gilani said militants ambushed J&K Bank’s cash van near Pombai village of Kulgam district at around 4.15 pm.
He said five policemen and two bank employees travelling in the van were killed in the militant attack.
Gilani said three militants, thought to be involved in the attack, have been identified during initial investigation. “They were led by Umar Majid of Souch”.
He said the militants have also decamped with four rifles of the slain policemen.
Sources told Kashmir Post that the van was returning from the D H Pora belt of the district after distributing cash when it was attacked by militants.
“There was no cash in the van at the time of the attack. It had already been delivered to a branch,” J&K Bank Cluster Head, Kulgam, Muhammad Shafi Salroo told Kashmir Post.
Seven people were travelling in the vehicle when it was attacked by militants.
“We received bodies of seven people,” Medical Superintendent (MS) of Kulgam district hospital, Dr R D Kasana, told Kashmir Post.
He identified the slain as Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Bashir Ahmad Dar of Bonigam, Qazigund and four constables including Farooq Ahmad Bhat of Nehama, Kulgam; Mohammad Qasim of Trehgam, Kupwara; Muzaffar Ahmad of Y K Pora, Qazigund and Ishfaq Ahmad of Zakoora, Srinagar.
The bank security guards killed in the attack were identified as Javaid Ahmad Bhat of Vessu, Kulgam and Muzaffar Ahmad Laway of D H Pora, Kulgam.
The bodies of policemen were taken from hospital to District Police Lines Kulgam, where IGP Kashmir, DIG south Kashmir and other senior police officers and families of the slain paid respects to the deceased.
After the wreath laying ceremony, bodies were handed over to the respective families for burial.
Meanwhile, Hizbul Mujahideen claimed responsibility of the attack.
Militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen claimed responsibility for the Kulgam attack, but said it had no hand in the death of the two bank employees who, along with five policemen, were killed in the attack.
Hizb operational spokesperson Burhanuddin told news agency CNS the attack was carried out by a special squad of the outfit that, besides inflicting casualties, also snatched four service rifles from the policemen.
“Operation Field Commander Mehmood Ghaznavi has hailed the militants and decided to reward them. Such attacks will continue in Kashmir valley,” CNS quoted the spokesperson as saying.
“We didn’t attack the vehicle with the intent to loot the cash. We have enough cash. We condemn the killing of two bank employees and want to clarify that they were shot dead by CRPF personnel and not by militants,” said Burhanuddin, adding,“militants can never target innocent Kashmiris.”
