Sagar has close shave in militant strike at Zaldagar

PSO killed; 3 escort cops, civilian injured in firing at Minister’s old home

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Dec 11: Senior National Conference (NC) leader and Minister for Rural Development, Law & Parliamentary Affairs, Ali Mohammad Sagar, had a narrow escape when militants attacked his cavalcade at his old residence of Zaldagar in Srinagar downtown. One of the Minister’s Personal Security Officers (PSOs) got killed and three more escort personnel and a civilian sustained injuries in the guerrilla attack that happened in this capital city after a long spell of peace.

Informed sources told Early Times that Ali Mohammad Sagar reached Zaldagar, in densely populated Nawab Bazar area of Srinagar downtown at arounf 7.00 p.m this evening to attend the engagement ceremony of his niece. Even as Sagar traveled alongwith his PSOs and escort and many of his relatives were waiting for his arrival, he had informed neither District Police nor Security Wing of J&K Police about his scheduled programme in the evening.

While the Minister was busy inside his brother’s house and was about to leave back for his secured official residence at Church Lane, Sonwar, some unidentified militants came close to his parked cavalcade and fired bursts of AK-47 gunfire. Four of his PSOs and escort personnel sustained injuries. Minutes after the guerrillas vanished into dark alleys, Police and civilians present on the spot evacuated the injured. All the four injured Police personnel and the civilian were rushed to nearby SMHS Hospital where Sagar’s PSO, selection grade constable Gulzar Ahmad (610/JKAP 12^th Bn) succumbed to injuries. He was a resident of Gulgam village of Kupwara district.

Official sources identified the injured Police personnel as Constable Yaqoob, Constable Hashim (residents of Kupwara) and Constable Feroz Ahmad of Chadoura, Budgam. The injured civilian, reportedly a driver, was identified as Ali Mohammad of Haihama, Kupwara. Sources said that Constable Yaqoob, who sustained critical injuries, was referred to SKIMS and subjected to surgery at the tertiary care hospital. Remaining two personnel and the civilian were under treatment and declared out of danger at SMHS Hospital.

Sagar is a resident of Zaldagar, near SMHS Hospital, who has been living at protected official houses in Civil Lines since his return from Jammu in 1995. He had migrated to Jammu in the face of secessionist militancy and termination of Dr Farooq Abdullah’s NC-Congress coalition government in January 1990 where he stayed for the next over five years. However, two of his brothers and other relatives have been continuously staying at Zaldagar, Nawab Bazar.

A senior official in CID of J&K Police, SSP Srinagar Syed Ashiq Hussain Bukhari as well as SSP Police Control Room Srinagar Sheikh Mehmood confirmed to Early Times that the authorities, including all wings of state Police, had no knowledge of Minister’s visit to Zaldagar, Nawab Bazar. They invariably maintained that nobody in Police had been informed about the Cabinet Minister’s visit.

SSP Bukhari said that Police rushed to the spot within minutes of learning about the guerrilla strike and got the injured evacuated. He said that the Minister, alongwith his aides and associates, was escorted to his official residence at Church Lane, Sonwar. Sagar’s Public Relations Officer, Mohammad Illyas, said that everybody was shocked and surprised over the attack. He said that the Minister escaped unhurt as he was inside his brother’s house. He said that the attack happened at around 7.35 p.m and the Minister reached his Church Lane house safely at around 8.00 p.m.

Present in the capital city and holding official meetings here since Wednesday last, Sagar was scheduled to attend the engagement ceremony of his niece at Zaldagar this evening. Earlier today, he attended a lengthy meeting with senior officials at Deputy Commissioner’s office. He was scheduled to fly from Srinagar to Rajouri in helicopter on Monday. However, official sources said that the programme was unlikely and Mr Sagar would continue to stay in Valley for the next one or two days.

SSP Bukhari said that Police learned from its sources and residents that two to three militants emerged from a dark and narrow lane and they fired three AK-47 bursts on the Minister’s parked cavalcade. According to him, the Minister’s cavalcade comprised an escort Gypsy, a bullet-proof Ambassador car and a Scorpio. He said that the VIP was properly protected and escorted on his visit but extraordinary security arrangements were not in place as Police had no information about the programme.

Known for his exceptional courage to visit hypersensitive downtown interior, Sagar has seldom entertained advice from Police or security agencies in touring Srinagar localities. Even while staying at a protected house in the high security Sonwar, he has been frequently visiting every nook and corner in Srinagar. On account of his audacity, he has been a special target of militants ever since he successfully contested Assembly elections and was inducted as Minister of State for Home in Dr Farooq Abdullah’s NC government in October 1996. In 1989, Dr Abdullah had inducted him as MoS Information. During his extensive traveling, official and political activity, Sagar has been attacked by suspected militants over a dozen times in the last 15 years.

Over a decade ago, militants did not spare him even when his father’s funeral prayers were in progress at a community graveyard in Karan Nagar area. Nobody was, however, killed or injured in the broad daylight guerrilla strike. Later, militants planted a huge IED inside a three-wheeler and detonated it yards away from Sagar’s official residence at Gupkar Road. The deafening explosion that day happened near a security barrier, a stone’s throw from what is now Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s house. Later, Sagar had another narrow escape near Bijbehara in Anantnag when suspected militants targeted his car with grenades and firing while he was returning from inauguration of a bridge and a public meeting.

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