Sopore IED blast: Four Jammu and Kashmir cops killed, two injured; Mehbooba Mufti condemns attack

Four police officers were killed and two others injured on Saturday in a massive improvised explosive device (IED) blast in Jammu and Kashmir’s Sopore, according to reports.

News18 reported that a police vehicle ran over the planted IED causing the explosion.

More #visuals from Baramulla where 4 Policemen have lost their lives after an IED blast by terrorists in Sopore #JammuAndKashmir pic.twitter.com/BLybHzhaFl

— ANI (@ANI) January 6, 2018

Jammu and Kashmir IGP Munir Khan told Greater Kashmir that three shops were also damaged. The report quoted a source as saying that the IED was planted beneath a shop.

The report also identified three of the four policemen as ASI Irshad Ahmad from Doda, Muhammad Amin from Kupwara and Ghulam Nabi from Sopore.

A police officer told IANS that the injured were shifted to the hospital and a search operation is underway.

There was heavy deployment of police and paramilitary forces in Sopore at the time of the incident to prevent any protests in view of the shutdown called by separatists on Saturday, reported The Indian Express.

Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti condemned the attack in a tweet.

Pained to hear that four policeman have been killed in an IED explosion in Sopore. My deepest condolences to their families.

— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) January 6, 2018

She also said that the policemen were killed when they were on duty to protect the people in the town. It is highly unfortunate to see, she added. “The vortex of violence in the state needs to be broken and for that every section of society has to work shoulder to shoulder,” the chief minister said.

This comes just days after two heavily armed militants stormed a CRPF camp in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, killing a personnel and leaving two others injured.

The militants had attacked the 185th battalion camp of the Central Reserve Police Force in Awantipora around 2 am on 31 December. According to CRPF officials, the militants “were armed with under-barrel grenade launchers and automatic weapons”. The camp also serves as training centre for troops inducted for counter-militancy operations in Kashmir Valley

With inputs from agencies