Overview
- The shooting, which occurred on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, near Lal Chowk in Anantnag, was a bike‑borne, shoot‑and‑scoot attack that fatally wounded Head Constable Aashiq Hussain Qureshi while he was on Amarnath Yatra security duty.
- The Resistance Front posted a claim of responsibility on social media and officials describe the group as a proxy of Lashkar‑e‑Taiba.
- Security forces immediately cordoned the area, launched multi‑district searches across south Kashmir and set up checkpoints to trace the assailant who remains at large.
- Authorities circulated CCTV and video footage of the shooting, detained large numbers of suspected overground workers for questioning with reports ranging from hundreds to over 1,000 people, and carried out targeted demolitions of properties linked to alleged militants.
- Senior J&K officials condemned the killing, senior police are leading the investigation, and authorities say they are reviewing and reinforcing security measures for the Amarnath Yatra as operations continue.