Militants gun down BSF jawan at home in north Kashmir, injure relatives

Srinagar: The security forces, on Thursday, launched a massive search operation covering several villages of Jammu and Kashmir’s northern Bandipora district after a Border Security Force (BSF) jawan was shot dead and four of his family members injured by militants.

The gunmen on Wednesday night barged into the residence of the BSF jawan Rameez Ahmed Parray in Parray Mohalla of Hajin area of the district and shot him dead.

His father Ghulam Ahmad Parray, brothers Mumtaz Ahmed and Javaid Ahmed and aunt Habba Begum were injured in the shootout, the police said.

Parray had come home on holiday a few days ago, it added.

The police said that the gunmen shot Parray from point blank range and when his family members started crying the assailants fired their weapons indiscriminately injuring others.

The condition of Parray’s aunt Habba Begum is stated to be critical whereas the other injured are stable.

Parray had joined the BSF six years ago.

Jammu and Kashmir’s Director General of Police termed the incident as “barbaric and inhuman” and vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice.

At dawn, the Army’s 13 Rashtriya Rifles, Jammu and Kashmir police’s counterinsurgency Special Operation Group (SOG) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) laid siege to several villages including Shahgund and Gund Boon of Bandipora to conduct searches.

The police said that the assailants are reported to have fled in the direction of these villages after committing crime. “Most probably, they are hiding in Shahgund,” said a police officer.

This is the third incident of a security personnel being shot dead by militants while on leave at home in Kashmir Valley in past six months.

On June 15, a Jammu and Kashmir policeman Shabir Ahmed Dar was shot dead from point blank range by assailants in Bogund village of southern Kulgam district.

On May 9, Ummer Fayaz Parray, a 22-year-old officer with Army’s 2 Rajputana Rifles was also on leave when abducted by two masked gunmen from the wedding of his (maternal) cousin in Batpora village of Kulgam district. Next morning, his bullet-riddled corpse was found in Harmain area of neighbouring Shopian district.

In March and April this year, the Valley had witnessed a series of militant attacks at policemen and their families following which the police department had issued an advisory asking its field personnel to avoid visiting their homes “for the next few months”. It had while referring to the “unfortunate” incidents wherein “militants and anti-national and anti-social elements have caused damage to the life and property of police personnel”, asked them to exercise extreme caution while visiting their homes.

“They should preferably avoid visiting their homes for the next few months as their personal security is of paramount importance," the advisory had said.

It also asked all the heads of various formations to brief their officers and men regarding the threat so the life and property of police personnel were secured.