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Kashmir: Two bank guards killed in militant attack on cash van, no money looted
Police said the militants were unable to loot any money because the van, belonging to the Jammu and Kashmir Bank, was returning empty after disbursing it among local branches.
Two bank guards were killed in an alleged militant attack on a cash van in South Kashmir’s Shopian district on Monday.
Police said the militants were unable to loot any money because the van, belonging to the Jammu and Kashmir Bank, was returning empty after disbursing it among local branches in Keller area. “Militants intercepted a van and killed two bank guards, but they could not loot any cash,” confirmed deputy inspector general of police (South Kashmir) SP Pani.
Police said the van driver is out of danger, and a hunt has been launched for the alleged militants.
Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti expressed her grief over the death of the two guards, and tweeted that the future can be made “safe and peaceful” only if everybody worked together.
The opposition National Conference also “strongly” condemned the incident. A statement jointly released by party president Farooq Abdullah and his son, working president Omar Abdullah, termed the killing of the two bank guards as “an act of barbarism and cowardice”.
A similar incident had occurred in May, when militants killed five policemen and two bank guards during an attack on a cash van at Phambai in Kulgam district. The Hizbul Mujahideen, which claimed responsibility for the incident, had to “clarify” its position after it evoked widespread condemnation across the Valley.
“We didn’t attack the vehicle with an intent to loot cash. We have enough money. We condemn the killing of the bank employees, and want to clarify that they were shot dead by security personnel,” Burhanuddin, spokesperson of the militant group, said.
Nobody has claimed responsibility for Monday’s attack so far.
