SRINAGAR – Indian Police official guarding the Sufi shrine inChrar-e-Sharif in Budgam and another guarding Hurriyat leader Fazal HaqQureshi were shot dead by militants in separate incidents on Sunday. Themilitants also snatched the weapons of the policemen.

The police claimed to have achieved a breakthrough in one of the shootingsand seized the vehicle used by the militants. “Two policemen have beenkilled,” IGP, Kashmir, S P Pani said. “Two weapons have also been snatched.

Suspected militants fired at police constable Kultar Singh atChrar-e-Sharif and escaped with his rifle. The policeman was rushed tohospital where he died. Hours later, militants struck about 40 km away, atSoura in Srinagar. Constable Farooq Ahmad, guarding moderate Hurriyatleader Fazal Haq Qureshi’s house, was shot dead and his rifle taken away.

Confirming the attacks, IGP Pani said, “In case of the Budgam (shooting),we have achieved a breakthrough. We have seized the vehicle in which they(militants) came. The vehicle had come from Pulwama.” He said the twoattacks did not appear to be related.

Police sources said the attacks were aimed at snatching rifles.