Srinagar, Aug 5 (IANS) J&K Police on Wednesday announced a reward of Rs 15 lakh for information leading to the arrest of a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist involved in the killing of a policeman on July 22 in Anantnag town.

 

Police have put up posters at prominent public places in the Valley seeking actionable information leading to the arrest of LeT terrorist Mohammad Lateef Bhat, who police said is involved in the killing of Head Constable Ashiq Hussain Qureshi on July 22 in Anantnag market while he was deployed on Yatra duty.

 

The posters carry the photograph of the terrorist that was taken from CCTV grabs in the area when the terrorist was running away after killing the policeman.

 

Since the eruption of terrorist violence in 1989, so far 1,614 Jammu and Kashmir Police personnel have laid down their lives in the line of duty fighting terrorism.

 

This toll includes regular officers, lower-ranked constables, and several hundred Special Police Officers (SPOs).

 

Martyred policemen include ranks from low-rank constables and selection-grade constables to Inspectors, Deputy SPs, Superintendents, and DIG-level officers.

 

Around 515 SPOs have laid down their lives in the service of the nation while fighting terrorism.

 

Terrorists also killed two non-local brick kiln labourers in Kellam village of Kulgam district on July 31.

 

A hunt is also on to trace the killers of the two non-locals identified as Deepak and Bopinder, both of whom belonged to Chhattisgarh.

 

While Deepak died in the government medical college hospital in Anantnag on the same day the terrorist shot him, Bopinder was shifted in critical condition to the super speciality Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) in Srinagar.

 

Despite the best efforts of the doctors, Bopinder passed away in SKIMS Srinagar on August 1.

 

The killings of non-locals were widely condemned by religious, political and social groups across the board.

 

J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah sanctioned ex gratia cash relief of Rs 15 lakh each for the next of kin of the two non-locals killed by the terrorists.

 

--IANS