Wani is the first off-duty cop to be attacked in the Kashmir zone this year.As many as 10 J&K policemen were killed by terrorists in 2022 – some of them intargeted strikes when they were on leave or off duty.
Sources said 19 security personnel had died in terrorist attacks in the Union territory till September this year – eight in Kashmir and 11 in Jammu. Wani’s attacker, associated with the ‘Falcon Squad’ of The Resistance Force (TRF), a covert branch of the Pakistan-backed Lashkar-e-Taiba, unleashed a barrage of gunshots at the 35-year-old, who is posted at the district police lines.
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“We have identified the terrorist. His name is Basit Dar, and he hails from Kulgam (in south Kashmir). He has been operational for a considerable period and is acting on the instructions of his handlers across the border,” said Kashmir range additional DGP Vijay Kumar.
Kumar said the terrorist had used a Turkish revolver during the assault. The area has been cordoned off and multiple teams are searching for the attacker. “I am confident that we will catch him soon,” the ADGP said.
Reports indicate that Dar is a “most wanted” terrorist, involved in numerous heinous acts of terrorism. TRF claimed responsibility for the attack, saying that it had issued a warning to Wani beforehand, accusing him of mistreating local civilians.