Overview
- A head constable of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, Aashiq Hussain Qureshi, was shot at close range during a patrol in Lal Chowk, Anantnag, on Wednesday and was declared dead at GMC Anantnag.
- The Resistance Front posted a claim of responsibility on social media and investigators are now analysing CCTV footage and photographs to identify the bike-borne shooter and trace escape routes.
- Security forces quickly cordoned Lal Chowk, sealed entry and exit points in Anantnag, and launched coordinated cordon-and-search operations across Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam.
- Dozens of suspected overground workers have been detained for questioning, a second police officer injured in the ambush remains under treatment, and senior officials including the DGP and lieutenant governor are supervising the response.
- The strike is the first major fatal attack in the Valley since the Pahalgam killings in 2025 and may prompt tighter Yatra security; The Resistance Front is widely reported as a proxy of Lashkar-e-Taiba and OGWs are local helpers who provide information or shelter to militants.