SPO killed in terror attack in J-K's Kishtwar laid to rest

A Special Police Officer who was killed in an attack by suspected terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar was laid to rest in his native village in the hilly district on Tuesday.

SPO Pasid Iqbal was on patrol duty in the high-altitude Tander village of Dachhan when he was attacked with axes by the suspected terrorists around 1.30 pm on Monday.

Only a few close relatives of the slain SPO attended the funeral in view of the coronavirus lockdown.

Before Iqbal was laid to rest in a graveyard in Palmar village, a wreath-laying ceremony was held at the district police lines wherein senior civil and police officers, among others, paid rich tributes to him, officials said.

District Development Commissioner Rajinder Singh Tara, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Doda-Kishtwar-Ramban Range, Abdul Jabbar, and officers of Army and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) paid their last respects to the slain SPO, they said.

From the police lines, his mortal remains were taken to his village with full honours, they added.

Iqbal's colleague SPO Vishal Singh, who was on duty with him on Monday, was critically injured in the attack and is battling for life at a hospital here.

The attackers fled with service rifles of the two SPOs.

A senior police officer said a massive search operation is underway to nab Iqbal's killers.

"The operation is going on and the culprits will be brought to book," the officer said.

Police have identified two of the attackers as Ashiq Hussain, a rape accused who was released on bail from central jail, Kishtwar about 20 days ago, and Basharat Hussain, both local residents.

The two are believed to have joined the terrorist ranks and carried out the attack to lay their hands on the weapons, according to police.