india

Updated: Mar 26, 2017 17:30 IST

Four suspected militants attacked a policeman in Jammu on Saturday night, and two escaped with his AK-47 rifle, days ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to nearby Chenani, exposing chinks in the security in the city.

The attack occurred near Mandir Masjid Point in Jammu’s Dogra Chowk at around 10pm. Mohammed Hanief, a constable deployed as Personal Security Officer (PSO) of Delhi-based Maulana Syed Athar Dehlavi, was returning home after dropping the cleric.

“At least four terrorists intercepted the cop and assaulted him with a baseball bat before fleeing from the spot with his official weapon,” a police officer said.

While two of the attackers have been arrested, the other two, Mohammed Asif and Amir, are still at large, with the weapon and a magazine having 30 rounds, a police source said.

All the attackers are from Shopian, and police were interrogating Masood Ahmed Malik, one of the arrested.

The injured constable was admitted to government medical college and hospital where he received 18 stitches on the head.

The attack has created panic as pilgrims from across the country are thronging Jammu and nearby Katra ahead of the Navratra festival.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Chenani, around 100km from here, on April 2 to inaugurate Asia’s longest bi-directional road tunnel between Chenani and Nashri on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.

A police officer said that a red alert has been sounded in Jammu city and raids are being conducted to nab the absconding attackers.

The incident has exposed the tall claims of police that there was a high state of security and alertness in the city, especially during night.