Policeman wounded in attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir

Militants in Indian-controlled Kashmir Thursday fired upon a policeman and wounded him critically, police said.

The policeman was fired upon while on duty outside district court in Shopian town, about 53 km south of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

"Militants today shot and wounded an Indian policeman outside court office here," a senior police official posted in Shopian told Xinhua.

"The policeman was busy frisking people entering the court complex when militants fired upon him using a pistol," he said.

The wounded policeman was immediately removed to a local medical facility in the town by his colleagues, but the doctors posted there referred him to a premier Srinagar hospital, owing to his critical condition.

Police officials said the policeman was fired upon from a point- blank range by militants.

The attack triggered panic in the town. So far no militant outfit has claimed responsibility of the attack.

Following the attack, authorities rushed police and paramilitary troopers to the spot, but by then the militants have fled the spot, locals said.

Reports said the assailants, two in number, tried to snatch away service rifle of the wounded policeman, but failed as other policemen came running to him after seeing him falling on the ground.

The attack comes hours after militants killed a military trooper of a contingent that was laying cordon of a nearby village in the district.

Militants occasionally target Indian police and paramilitary troopers in the restive region and try to snatch their service rifles.

A guerrilla war is going on between militants and Indian troopers stationed in the region since 1989. Endi