Police head constable killed in targeted terror attack in Anantnag

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Police head constable Ashiq Hussain Qureshi was killed in a suspected terrorist attack at Anantnag in southern Kashmir on Wednesday.

The incident, which took place in the busy market area of Lal Chowk in Anantnag district, which falls on the Amaranth Yatra route, marked the first major targeted strike after the Pahalgam terrorist attack in April 2025. The pilgrimage is currently suspended due to the inclement weather across J&K.

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More than 2,000 suspects have been detained or questioned across all ten districts of Kashmir Valley in connection with the attack, according to the police. An unconfirmed CCTV footage from the spot showed the attacker carrying an AK rifle under a white cloth shooting the policeman from behind and running away through the busy market.

The cyber cell of the police directed media and social media platforms not to share the unverified footage or pictures regarding the incident.

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Preliminary investigation revealed that in an unconfirmed social media post a new group, United Liberation Council, had taken responsibility for the attack. Police officials said the group was another proxy of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, like The Resistance Front. Police are investigating whether the attacker was a local or a foreigner, they said.