Cop shot dead by militants in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama

Srinagar, Oct 28: A sub-inspector of Jammu and Kashmir Police on his way home was shot dead by militants in Pulwama district in South Kashmir on Sunday

The body of sub-inspector Imtiyaz Ahmad Mir, who was posted with the CID in Srinagar's Sheergadi, was recovered from the Chewa Kalan area of the district, the officials said.

The desperation to see his parents prompted Jammu and Kashmir Police's sub-inspector Imtiyaz Ahmed Mir to shave off his beard and change appearance in his unsuccessful attempt to dodge militants who had laid a death trap for him in his village, his colleagues said on Sunday.

Posted in the CID department, Mir had been warned against venturing into his village as there was a possibility of attack by militant groups, who have been targeting policemen in the state recently.

"I had told him that he should not go as militants could attack. But he was desperate to see his parents who reside at Sontabugh in the interiors of Pulwama district," recalled one of his supervising officers.

This morning as he was preparing to leave for home, he came with a changed appearance. He shaved off his beard and decided to use his personal vehicle to go to his native village, the officer said.

"Now they (militants) will not be able to recognise me" were possibly his last words to his officer before he left for home with a smiling face as he was seeing his parents after a long time.

Mir is survived by his father and mother.

Son of a retired police officer, Mir, who was from 2010 batch of sub-inspector, had served in Ganderbal district of South Kashmir for five years before being transferred to Kulgam district last year.

He was shifted to the CID department in March this year and his superiors recalled his dedication towards his work.

Militants have been targeting policemen in the state and killed two special police officer and a constable last month, triggering an unrest in the lower ranks of the force with some SPOs declaring their resignation on social media.

In fact, some militants had claimed that Mir had also submitted his resignation.

When the body of Mir was being brought to Pulwama district lines by a police team from Wahibugh, it was attacked by stone pelters as security forces had launched a cordon-and-search operations in Chewa and the area where he was shot dead.

The police have also launched a probe to ascertain how the information about his journey to home had been leaked to militant groups, who had been waiting to ambush him at Wahibugh.

Terror group Hizbul Mujahideen had threatened local police personnel of dire consequences unless they quit their jobs by September 19.

A week earlier, suspected militants killed a 45-year-old armyman who had come home to Kulgam to mourn the death of his teenage son.

Sniper attacks by Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists have also emerged as a new source of concern for security personnel in the Valley, with the army suffering three casualties since mid-September. Kashmir police said they are "re-calibrating their strategy" to thwart such sneak attacks in the future.