Militant attack kills detained militant in Srinagar

SRINAGAR: Militants attacked a police vehicle on Tuesday killing an erstwhile bodyguard of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen supremo Syed Salauddin, now based in PoK. Four cops were also injured in the attack, but are out of danger.

Police said they were carrying the detainee, Shakeel Ahmad Kasana, from Pantachjowk in Srinagar to district jail in Baramulla when militants tossed a grenade into the vehicle. It exploded leaving six persons injured – four policemen, a civilian walking on the street and Kasana. They were immediately driven to the hospital where Kasana breathed his last.

Kasana, a resident of Kangan, was arrested during in August 2012. “He has been a dreaded militant and was arrested after a long chase,” IG Kashmir A G Mir said. “We arrested him under PSA that was quashed and we re-arrested him again,” he added. Kasana was in PoK for a long time and had acted as the bodyguard of Syed Salahuddin, the top militant commander. “After he returned to this side, he killed many people,” he said.

Mir denied the attack was aimed at killing the detained militant. “Speculations might be there but the fact is that the attacker did not know who we are carrying,” Mir said. “It was attack on police and we have four of our personnel in the hospital.”

A little known outfit JK Freedom Force has staked the claim for the attack. The spokesperson rang up a newspaper to regret that the civilians were injured in the attack.