SRINAGAR: The bullet-riddled body of a Jammu and Kashmir police constable, who was abducted by militants from his home in Kulgam district, was found at Qaimoh in the same district on Saturday afternoon.

Off late, cops and security personnel on leave visiting their native village have been easy picking for militants. This is the fourth such incident in recent times.

Saleem Shah, who was on leave, was abducted by militants from his residence at Mutalhama area of Kulgam in south Kashmir on Friday night. The slain cop, who was recently promoted as constable, was training at Kathua in Jammu, officials said. He had come home on leave a few days ago.

The constable’s body bore several injury marks, indicating he was “brutally tortured” to death by the terrorists, a police spokesperson said. The body has been sent for postmortem, he added.

“The initial investigation into the matter has indicated that it is the handiwork of proscribed terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen . We condemn such gruesome terror act and assure that the culprits shall be brought to justice,” police said.

Saturday’s killing comes a month after a soldier was kidnapped and slain by terrorists on June 14 in south Kashmir. Rifleman Aurangzeb of 44 Rashtriya Rifles was abducted when he was on his way home to celebrate Eid.

The body of another police constable identified as Javaid Ahmad Dar was found by locals at Pariwan village in Kulgam, a day after he was abducted from a medical shop in Shopian on July 6.

In May last year, terrorists abducted and shot dead a 23-year old Kashmiri army officer, Ummer Fayaz Parray, 4kms away from the house of his maternal uncle at Heman village in Shopian district where he had come to attend a wedding ceremony.

Meanwhile, suspected militants fired upon a patrolling party of the First Rashtriya Rifles at Hawoora Redwani in Kulgam district on Saturday afternoon. There were no reports of any human loss or damage.

In another attack, militants opened fire on a ‘road opening party’ of the CPRF on Khanabal-Pahalgam road at Bumzoo in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district . At least two CRPF men were wounded in the attack, reports said. A search operation has been launched to track down the militants. The injured were rushed to hospital.

Two CRPF personnel, including an officer, were killed a few days ago when vehicle-borne militants fired upon a patrolling party at Achabal in the same district.

