The police, witnesses said, fired rifles over the heads of the stone-pelting mobs and also burst teargas canisters to quell the protests. (Photo: PTI/File)

Srinagar: A Hizb-ul-Mujahedin militant, currently in police custody, was killed and a policeman was injured when suspected militants tossed a hand grenade into a police station in Jammu and Kashmir’s southern Pulwama district, the police here said.

The incident was followed by eruption of intense clashes between irate crowds and the security forces along the streets of Tral area.

The police, witnesses said, fired rifles over the heads of the stone-pelting mobs and also burst teargas canisters to quell the protests.

The traders earlier brought their shutters down and vehicles were withdrawn from roads, a report received here from Tral said.

According to a statement issued by the police, the militant Mushtaq Ahmed Chopan alias Haroon who was in police custody had tried to escape from the police station in Tral town, wearing burqa. “When he was near the main gate someone from outside lobbed a grenade as a part of the planned conspiracy to divert the attention so that he could escape conveniently. The grenade exploded inside the police station nearby him resulting into death of the said detainee and injury to one constable Merajuddin,” the statement said.

The police is silent how the detainee acquired burqa while in its custody. He was arrested along with his two associates by the police in Sopore area in north-western Baramulla district on January 9 and was currently under “custodial change” as he was wanted also by Awantipora (Pulwama district) police.