Suspected terror operative identified in Hyderabad shooting

Hyderabad, May 15: Viqar Ahmed, a suspected terror operative, has been identified as one of the attackers in Friday's shootout here in which one policeman was killed, police said Saturday.Viqar was identified as the assailant after investigators recorded statements of witnesses and analysed a CD left behind by the attackers. Considered tech-savvy, Viqar typed a letter contained in the CD. Tehreek Ghalba-e-Islam, an outfit allegedly floated by Viqar, owned responsibility for the attack saying it was carried out to take revenge for the police firing after blast at the Mecca Masjid May 18,2007.A constable was shot dead by two gunmen in Shahali Banda area of the old city Friday even as the police were on high alert ahead of the third anniversary of the bomb blast at the historic mosque. Wearing a mask, Viqar was riding pillion on a motorcycle. His associate was driving the two-wheeler wearing a helmet. Some suspects were also picked up since Friday night in the old city by the special teams formed to track down the culprits. Police Commissioner A.K.Khan said a red alert has been sounded across the city in view of the blast anniversary. He advised policemen to remain vigilant. Viqar, said to be a former member of banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), was also blamed for gunning down a policeman in a similar attack May 18 last year. The last rites of slain constable U. Ramesh were conducted in his native Chittoor district with full state honours. Senior police (photo officials paid tributes to the policeman whose wife is also a police official. (photo by RSJ Thomas) 
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