Daijiworld Media Network - Srinagar

Srinagar, Aug 5: Jammu and Kashmir Police on Wednesday announced a reward of Rs 15 lakh for information leading to the arrest of a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist allegedly involved in the killing of a policeman in Anantnag last month.

Police have put up posters at prominent public places across the Kashmir Valley seeking actionable information about LeT terrorist Mohammad Lateef Bhat, who is accused of shooting dead Head Constable Ashiq Hussain Qureshi on July 22 while he was on Amarnath Yatra security duty in Anantnag town.

The posters carry a photograph of the accused, extracted from CCTV footage, showing him fleeing the scene after the attack.

According to police, 1,614 Jammu and Kashmir Police personnel have lost their lives in the line of duty since the outbreak of militancy in 1989. The figure includes regular police personnel, constables, senior officers and around 515 Special Police Officers (SPOs) who were killed while fighting terrorism.

Meanwhile, security forces are continuing their search for the terrorists responsible for the killing of two non-local brick kiln workers in Kellam village of Kulgam district on July 31.

The victims, identified as Deepak and Bopinder, both natives of Chhattisgarh, were shot by terrorists. Deepak succumbed to his injuries at the Government Medical College Hospital in Anantnag on the day of the attack, while Bopinder, who was shifted in critical condition to Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) in Srinagar, died on August 1 despite treatment.

The killings drew widespread condemnation from political, religious and social organisations across Jammu and Kashmir.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has announced an ex gratia compensation of Rs 15 lakh each to the families of the two slain labourers.