SSP, cops escape terrorist ambush

SRINAGAR: A Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), along with other cops had a narrow escape Saturday morning when terrorists attacked their two bullet proof vehicles with automatic weapons in south Kashmir district of Shopian. Meanwhile, body of one more terrorist, believed to be a foreigner, was recovered from the debris of houses damaged during the Thursday's encounter at Balhama village in Khanmoh area in Pulwama district, thus taking the death toll to three.
On Saturday, SSP Shopian Shriram Dinkar Ambarkar and another Deputy Superintendent of Police (Dy SP) alongwith their guards were on way to attend a function organized by 34 Rashitriya Rifles (RR) at Behibagh in neighbouring Kulgam.
However, when the cavalcade reached at Hajipora Hereman, terrorists opened fire with automatic weapons. However, both the officers and their guards escaped unhurt as the bullets could not penetrate the heavy metal of the vehicles.
Later immediately after the attack, troops of RR, Special Operation Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) launched a massive search operation in the area to nab the terrorists responsible for the attack. However, so far no contact has been established with the terrorists who are believed to have escaped.
Meanwhile, with the recovery of one more body, the death toll in Thursday encounter between terrorists and security forces in the city outskirts has risen to three, a police spokesman said on Saturday.
He said body of one more terrorists, believed to be a foreigner, was recovered from the debris of houses damaged during the encounter. The encounter ensued on Thursday afternoon at Balhama Khanmoh after terrorists attacked a Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Anwar Khan.
A Personnel Security Officer (PSO) Bilal of BJP leader was injured in the attack. Later bodies of two local terrorists identified as Rasiq Nabi Bhat, a resident of Tral and Shabir Ahmad Dar, a resident of Awantipora were recovered yesterday.
A police spokesperson in a tweet on Saturday said " From the #Balhama encounter site one more terrorist body( understood to be FT) & incriminating materials recovered. The site is being cleared by the BD(Bomb Disposal) squad".
Police spokesman said that a sanitization operation was started by Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) in the area to clear any unexploded shell or mine after the encounter.
He said in the process the teams of police, security forces and BDS were put on the job. However, while concluding the search and sanitation of the encounter site, police recovered body of third terrorist identified as Hamas, a foreigner. The area was sealed to carry out further searches on cooling of rubbles immediately after the encounter ended to ensure no damage is caused by any explosive material left over at the encounter site.