March 14, 2025 04:04 am (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
In a setback for Donald Trump, US judge orders federal agencies to rehire fired workers: Report | 'We will thwart conspiracies hatched by Centre': Revanth Reddy on delimitation exercise | Chennai doctor, his wife along with two sons die by suicide due to huge debt: Cops | Amid language debate, Tamil Nadu drops rupee symbol in state budget | Scientist killed in assault by neighbour over parking argument in Mohali | British woman tourist raped in Delhi hotel by man she befriended on social media | Gold smuggling case: Court restrains media from publishing, telecasting defamatory statements against Ranya Rao | Trump warns Putin of 'devastating' financial impacts if Russia blocks Ukraine ceasefire | 'People are going to Russia right now as we speak: Donald Trump on Ukraine war ceasefire talks | Pakistani army claims to have freed all hostages in passenger train siege; 28 personnel killed
Kashmir
Photo Courtesy: UNI

Retired police officer shot dead at a mosque while he was praying in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla

| @indiablooms | Dec 25, 2023, at 01:20 am

A retired Senior Superintendent of Police was shot dead by suspected militants at a mosque in Jammu Kashmir’s Baramulla district in early hours on Sunday.

While police termed it a terror incident, it is learnt that they are investigating from all possible angles including possible rivalry.

Police officers privy to the investigation said the postmortem revealed that the retired officer Mohammad Shafi Mir, was shot with a 12-bore rifle and had splinter injuries.

“After finding that the weapon used to attack the retired officer was a 12-bore rifle, we are looking at all angles, including any possible rivalry,” they said.

Earlier the day, Police said the retired officer, identified as Mohammad Shafi Mir, was fired upon at Gantmulla village on the Baramulla Uri highway while he was offering the call of prayers in the local mosque.

He was shifted to a medical facility in Baramulla where doctors declared him dead on arrival.

“Terrorists fired upon Shri Mohd Shafi, a retired police officer at Gantmulla, Sheeri #Baramulla, while praying Azan ( call for prayers) in the mosque and succumbed to injuries,” police said in a post on X.

Soon after the attack, a joint team of forces cordoned off the area to trace the attackers.

Sources said 71-year –old Mir had retired in 2012 and was living in the village.

The incident took place in an area that has not seen any violence even during the heyday of militancy.

“This area has always been peaceful and the killing has shocked everyone here,” said a local resident of Gantmulla.

The locals said some of them heard a loud sound when the attack took place.

“Mir sahib was giving Azan on the loudspeaker from a staircase of the mosque and was fired from behind. We heard a loud blast at that time,” said another local. " He was regularly giving Azan at the mosque."

A pall of gloom descended the entire village as the news of the killing spread in the area.

The killing of the retired officer has been widely condemned. J&K Lt Governor, mainstream political parties and a Kashmiri separatist group condemned the killing.

(With UNI inputs)

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.