Chilling CCTV visuals show terrorist shooting J&K cop at point-blank range

A suspected terrorist shot constable Aashiq Hussain Qureshi at close range near Lal Chowk in Anantnag. The daylight killing triggered panic in the market and marked a major terror incident in the Valley since the Pahalgam attack last year.Anantnag terror attack caught on CCTV; J&K policeman shot dead at close range (Screen grab)A CCTV video has captured the moment a suspected terrorist shot dead a Jammu and Kashmir Police constable at point-blank range in broad daylight in Anantnag on Wednesday.The footage, recorded near Lal Chowk in Anantnag town, shows the assailant calmly approaching a police party deployed in the busy market before opening fire at close range. The attacker is then seen fleeing the scene, triggering panic among bystanders.The victim, identified as Aashiq Hussain Qureshi (35), was a constable with the 3rd Battalion of the India Reserve (IR) and a resident of Budgam district. He was part of a police team deployed for Amarnath Yatra security when the attack took place at around 12.30 pm, officials said.According to officials, the assailant, believed to be riding a motorcycle, carried out a shoot-and-scoot attack before escaping. Qureshi suffered critical injuries and was rushed to the Government Medical College (GMC) Hospital in Anantnag, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. The Resistance Front (TRF), considered a proxy outfit of the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), has claimed responsibility for the attack through a social media post.Soon after the shooting, security forces sealed off the area and launched a massive search operation to trace the attacker. Additional reinforcements were rushed to Anantnag, while checkpoints were set up along key routes to prevent the assailant's escape. Officials said efforts are underway to identify and apprehend those involved. The killing comes amid heightened security across Jammu and Kashmir, with forces maintaining an intensified counter-terror grid following Operation Sindoor. Investigators are probing the circumstances surrounding the attack and whether it was carried out by a lone operative or with logistical support from a wider terror network.The attack is being seen as one of the most significant terror strikes in the Valley since the Pahalgam terror attack last year, in which 26 people were killed. India subsequently launched Operation Sindoor, targeting terrorist infrastructure across the border as part of its counter-terror response.- EndsWith agency inputsPublished By: Priyanka KumariPublished On: Jul 22, 2026 17:00 IST