A day ahead of the Independence Day, Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists shot dead two Jammu and Kashmir policemen and wounded another in indiscriminate firing in Nowgam area on the outskirts of the Srinagar city, police said.
They said the terrorists have been identified and will be neutralised soon.
Terrorists fired indiscriminately on a police party near Nowgam bypass Friday morning, a police official said, adding three policemen were injured in the attack.
The policemen were shifted to a hospital where two of them succumbed and the third was undergoing treatment, the official said.
Inspector General of Police Kashmir, Vijay Kumar, said the JeM carried out the attack.
"They fired indiscriminately and two of our jawans were martyred... We have identified them, they belong to JeM group. We will neutralise them soon," Kumar told reporters near the site of the attack.
Asked whether there were any inputs about a possible terrorist attack on the eve of the Independence Day, the Inspector General of Police said the police get such inputs every year.
"We have such inputs every year before August 15 and January 26. We had inputs that they will try (an attack) in some area. The boys were alert and prepared, but they (the terrorists) came from the rear side and fired on them.
"We have cordoned off the area and the searches are on. This is a narrow lane and there was civilian movement and if our boys would have retaliated, there would have been loss of civilian, so they exercised restraint," Kumar said.
The People's Democratic Party condemned the attack, saying it will further aggravate the situation for Kashmiris.
'Vehemently condemn the attack on @JmuKmrPolice personnel. Such attacks further aggravate the situation for Kashmiris already reeling under double disaster post August 5. We join the families of deceased in mourning their loss,' the party tweeted.
