Daily Times

SRINAGAR: Five cops and two guards were killed on Monday as a bank van came under attack on Monday.

Officials said a van carrying security personnel and staff of J&K Bank was on the way to district headquarters after depositing cash in a branch when it was attacked.

“Militants stopped the van in Pombai village and opened fire at it indiscriminately, resulting in on the spot death of seven persons, including five policemen. By the time forces reached the area, the attackers had fled,” Inspector General of Kashmir SJM Gilani said.

He said the suspects did not loot any cash but they decamped with five service rifles of the slain police personnel.

The Hizbul Mujahideen claimed responsibility for the attack. In a statement, the outfit’s operational spokesman, Burhanuddin, denied police claims that the bank employees were killed in the attack.

“We didn’t attack the vehicle with intent to loot the cash. We have enough cash. We condemn the killing of two bank employees and want to clarify that they were shot dead by CRPF personnel and not by militants,” Burhanuddin said.

The attack in Kulgam comes a day after a civilian was killed and another suffered injuries in two militancy related incidents in Kashmir. A grenade exploded near a police station in Srinagar’s Khanyar locality on Sunday evening, killing one civilian while five policemen were injured.