Police officer shot by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Badgam, critically injured

SRINAGAR: Terrorists have shot and critically injured a police officer in Jammu and Kashmir's Badgam on Saturday night. This is the latest incident of Kashmiri police and security personnel being targeted by terrorists. 

The incident happened in Charar-e-Sharif. "The injured SPO Muhammad Hafiz was shifted to Srinagar for specialised treatment," police sources were quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

There has been an uptick in targeted violence by terrorists against Kashmiris who serve in the police, paramilitary forces or the Army. In September, the bodies of three police personnel were found bullet-ridden in South Kashmir's Shopian. A civilian, whose brother serves in the police, had been kidnapped along with the three policemen and had been released earlier. 

In August, nine people, all family members of police and Army personnel were kidnapped by terrorists from Shopian, Kulgam, Anantnag and Awantipora. Terrorists belonging to Pakistan-backed Hizb ul Mujahideen had released a 12-minute video demanding that the relatives of terrorists who are in police custody should be released.

This had come just days after police arrested the son of globally designated terrorist Syed Salahuddin on charges of funnelling funds for terrorist activities. 

The targeting of Kashmiri security personnel and their families is the latest trend in the trend of youth turning to terrorism in Kashmir that has picked up steam since 2013. This wave of the militancy, unlike the one in the late 1980s and 1990s, has seen a number of educated youth choosing the gun.

Needless to say, many of these terrorist groups have the tacit support, along with financial and material backing of the Pakistani security establishment. 

(With inputs from agencies)