Srinagar, Mar 26 (PTI) Militants on Saturday shot dead a special police officer (SPO) and injured his brother in Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.

"At about 8.35 pm, terrorists fired at and critically injured SPO Ishfaq Ahmad near his residence at Chadbugh in Budgam," one of the officials said.

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They said in the firing, Ahmad's brother Umar Jan, too, received bullet injuries.

They were taken to SKIMS Hospital in Bemina where Ahmad died, the officials said.

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Jan is undergoing treatment, they said, adding the area has been cordoned off and a hunt launched to nab the attackers.

Political parties condemned the killing of the SPO.

“Unreservedly condemn the cowardly killing of SPO Ishfaq Ahmad in central Kashmir's Chadbugh village of Budgam. May Allah grant him a place in Jannat. Our condolences to his loved ones and @JmuKmrPolice. Prayers for recovery of his brother Umar who was also injured in the attack,” a tweet by the National Conference (NC) read.

People's Conference described the killing barbaric.

“And this day too ended with killing of an SPO in Budgam. How barbaric & inhumanely the terror is wiping our younger generation. Condemning this drastic killing that orphaned a family. Rest in Peace brave heart & prayers with the bereaved family,” the party said in a tweet.

Apni Party chief Altaf Bukhari said such acts of violence have no place in our society.

"I unreservedly condemn the dastardly & cowardly attack on the J&K police SPO Ishfaq Ahmad and his younger brother in Budgam. We stand with the family in this terrible time. Such acts of violence have no place in our society and only add to our collective tragedies and miseries,” he said.

BJP's Jammu and Kashmir unit, too, condemned the killing.

“This is the frustration of terrorists. Now, they understand that their number is getting depleted day by day. Nothing is going to be achieved by shedding the blood of innocents. This is Pakistan sponsored terrorism,” party's general secretary (organisation) Ashok Koul said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)