Awantipora attack: Toll mounts to three

SPO, wife, daughter shot dead; IGP says 2 JeM militants involved

By: Jehangeer Ganai

Pulwama: The death toll in Harparigam, Awantipora attack Monday reached three after the daughter of slain cop also succumbed at Srinagar hospital.

Earlier, Special Police Officer (SPO) Fayaz Ahmed and his wife had succumbed late night yesterday soon after the attack at their house in village Hariparigam. Fayaz, his wife Raja Bano and their daughter Rafia had sustained serious bullet wounds. While Fayaz and his wife breathed their last at GMC Anantnag, Rafia was rushed to SKIMS Soura for advanced treatment.

Police said that at least two gunmen barged into their house and fired at Fayaz and when his wife and daughter tried to save him, the gunmen fired at them too leaving them in a pool of blood.

A doctor at SKIMS, Soura said that Rafia succumbed to bullet injuries early Monday morning. “She was 25-year-old,” the doctor said.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir Vijay Kumar visited Haripargam and met the family members of slain. He expressed his solidarity with the bereaved family. Later talking to reporters at Hariparigam, the IGP said: “Two foreign militants from Jaish-e-Muhamad outfit carried out the attack at Hariparigam area late night yesterday killing an SPO, his wife and his daughter. There is a movement of Jaish militants in the area and it seems that two foreign militants have carried out the attack.”

He said that further identification of two attackers is on. “Militants first fired at the SPO (Fayaz Ahmed) and his wife and daughter tried to save him, they too were fired upon,” the IGP said.

Pertinently, as per official sources, Fayaz, who was serving as SPO in J&K Police was threatened to resign before two years but he preferred to continue his job in police. His son Liyaqat Fayaz is a Territorial Army soldier and is posted in Pulwama district. Liayaqat got married two years ago and has little son and wife in his family now. (KNO)

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