The terrorists had intercepted the bank vehicle in Kashmir's Kulgam.
Five policemen and two guards from a private company were killed when terrorists attacked a bank vehicle in Kashmir's Kulgam today. The terrorists had stopped the cash van, ordered the policemen and the guards out and gunned them down. Hizbul Mujahideen has claimed responsibility for the attack.
The attack took place at around 3 pm on the Kulgam road in south Kashmir, when the van was returning after delivering cash to a local bank. Visuals showed the bullet-riddled white van of the J&K Bank. Sources said the men were shot from close range. The bodies were left on the road. The terrorists took away the rifles of the four policemen, the police said.
Police sources said four of the policemen and the two guards were residents of Kulgam district. One policeman belonged to north Kashmir's Kupwara.
The attack took place on a day Pakistan's army, in an act of extreme provocation, mutilated the bodies of two soldiers killed in firing at the Line of Control. The army has warned of "appropriate response" to the "despicable act".
National Conference leader and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah tweeted:
This is the second terror attack within a week in Kashmir. Last week, three terrorists targeted an army camp in Kupwara district and killed three soldiers, including a young Captain. Two of the terrorists were gunned down. The third, though injured, managed to escape.
South Kashmir has become the hub of terror activities over the last few years, where large armed groups roam the countryside unchecked, the authorities say. Policemen have been targeted frequently and robbed of their weapons. But this was the first time a bank vehicle was targeted.