The brother of the slain SPO who was seriously wounded in yesterday’s militant attack in Budgam, also died this morning at SKIMS hospital.
Yesterday, terrorists fired at and critically injured SPO Ishfaq Ahmad at 8:35 pm in Budgam. Police said the brothers were taken to the SKIMS Hospital in Bemina where Ahmad died.
Officials reported. “At about 8:35 pm, terrorists fired at and critically injured SPO Ishfaq Ahmad near his residence at Chadbugh in Budgam,” one of the officials said. They said in the firing, Ahmad’s brother Umar Jan also received bullet injuries. They were taken to the SKIMS Hospital in Bemina where Ahmad died, the officials said.
The Kashmir Zone Police tweeted, “SPO Ishfaq Ahmad and his brother Umar Jan (a student) were fired upon by terrorists at their residence in village Chadbugh area of Budgam. However, Ishfaq Ahmad succumbed to his injuries & attained martyrdom. Area cordoned off, search operation in progress. Further details follow.”
SPO Ishfaq Ahmad and his brother Umar Jan (a student) were fired upon by terrorists at their residence in village Chadbugh area of Budgam. However Ishfaq Ahmad sccumbed to his injuries & attained martyrdom. Area cordoned off, search operation in progress. Further details follow.
— Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) March 26, 2022
Quoting an official, the news agency KNO reported that Umer Jan, a student and the brother of slain SPO succumbed to his injuries at 5 am at JVC Hospital Bemina.
Earlier, Umer’s brother, Special Police Officer, Ishfaq Ahmad, son of Ghulam Muhammad had received serious bullet wounds and was declared brought dead at the hospital. Umer was battling for his life but breathed his last this Sunday morning.
Kashmir zone police yesterday had tweeted that “SPO Ishfaq Ahmad and his brother Umar Jan (a student) were fired upon by militants at their residence in the village Chadbugh area of Budgam. However, Ishfaq Ahmad succumbed to his injuries. The area is cordoned off, and a search operation in progress.”
After the removal of Article 370
Revoking Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in August 2019, the BJP-led Union government had said that the move would “end militancy” and bring “peace” to the region. The constitutional provision of special status to J&K was “strengthening separatist narrative” in the Valley, the government said.
After the removal of Article 370, 96 civilians and 81 Jawans have been killed along with 400 militants.
A report published by The Wire on the first anniversary of the dilution of Article 370 says:
Between April 16, 2017, and August 4, 2019, there were 843 terrorist incidents that resulted in the death of 86 civilians and 78 members of the security forces. Between August 5, 2019, and November 22, 2021, the number of terror incidents was 496, nearly 350 fewer than in the period before. However, 79 civilians were killed in this period, apart from 45 members of the security forces.
“An analysis of data provided by [the Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society] also shows that while the number of killings reported in the first half of 2020 is lower than the previous two years when seen together with reports of increased destruction of civilian property and more violations of ceasefire at the border with Pakistan, there can be no denial of heightened conflict.”
At the end of 2020, Jammu and Kashmir director general of police (DGP) Dilbagh Singh said that though terror incidents had reduced that year, the number of people joining the militancy had increased.
Also, since August 2019, Jammu and Kashmir have been in a state of lockdown – the first imposed immediately before Article 370 was diluted and again after the outbreak of COVID-19.
Data shows that terror-related incidents are rising again. In fact, October 2021 saw the highest civilian fatalities in over 30 months – preceding the dilution of Article 370. According to The Hindu, there were 25 incidents of killings in October, the fourth-highest for any month since 2012.
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