Six people, including four policemen, were injured after suspected militants opened indiscriminate fire on a police party Saturday afternoon in Bongam area of this South Kashmir district.According to reports, the gunmen fired at the policemen who had stepped out of their vehicle in the busy Bongam Chowk, resulting in critical injuries to some of them. Two local shopkeepers were also caught in the line of fire and were injured.Panic gripped the area as people started to run for cover. The assailants managed to flee from the spot.The injured were rushed to the local sub-district hospital from where they were referred to Srinagar for treatment of critical injuries.
“Three policemen had bullet injuries in their legs and were shifted to Bone and Joint Hospital in Barzulla, Srinagar along with two injured civilians,” said a police statement, adding that the fourth policeman with abdominal bullet injury has been shifted to SMHS Hospital.The injured civilians have been identified as Muhammad Amin Zargar, a local shopkeeper and Bashir Ahmad Hajam, a resident of Harman village. Hajam is a barber.The cops injured in the attack have been identified as SPO, Shabir Ahmad, belt number 54; Mairaj-ud-din belt, number 455; Zahoor Ahmad and Vikas Kumar.Following the shootout, police and the paramilitary CRPF cordoned off the area and conducted extensive searches. “We are trying to nab the militants. Searches are going on in the area,” said a police official from the area.