In a sudden spurt of violence coinciding with the holy month of Ramadan, 2 local policemen were killed and 17 others wounded in continuing attacks across Srinagar on Wednesday.
Police said militants shot at and critically injured a constable of the Jammu and Kashmir armed police identified as Farooq Ahmad in the Bohri Kadal downtown area of Srinagar on Wednesday afternoon.
"The constable was taken to SMHS hospital where he succumbed to his bullet wounds," said a police officer.
In another militant hit-and-run attack, Assistant Sub-Inspector of Police Abdul Gani was injured in the Maharaj Bazar area of uptown Srinagar.
"The ASI was taken to Soura Medical institute where he succumbed to injuries," the officer said.
17 persons including 14 local cops, one paramilitary trooper and two civilians were wounded in a deadly city centre grenade explosion in Srinagar late Wednesday afternoon.
Police in Srinagar said militants attacked a joint patrol party of the local police and paramilitary in the Budshah chowk area of Lal Chowk late Wednesday afternoon.
"14 local policemen, one paramilitary central reserve police force trooper and two civilians were wounded in the attack. All the injured were taken to the hospital for specialised treatment," said the officer.
Immediately after the attack, roads were deserted and traffic thinned out even as the shops in the city centre were already closed because of a strike by Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front condemning the hanging of Mohammed Afzal, the Parliament terror attack convict.
Meanwhile, the hard-line Kashmir separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani has called for a general strike against the verdict on Afzal.
The front militant organisation Hizbul Mujaheedin has supported Geelani's call.
