A special police officer, his wife and daughter were killed in a suspected militant attack at Awantipora in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Sunday night.

Officials said suspected militants barged into the house of officer Fayaz Ahmad, in his late 40s, at 11pm. The militants were looking for the officer apparently to kill him.

Ahmad’s wife Raja Begum and daughter Rafia tried to save him but the family faced a barrage of fire, killing Ahmad on the spot.

His wife and daughter were hospitalised. The wife died of wounds during the night while his daughter passed away early on Monday.

The killings have plunged the village in grief and triggered outrage across the Valley.

Inspector-general of police, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar said the militants first fired upon Ahmad. “The mother and daughter tried to save him (SPO) but they were also fired upon. They were martyred. We are very grieved but they (militants) will soon be identified and neutralised,” he said.

Kumar said two militants carried out the attack, one of whom appeared to be an “FT” (foreign terrorist) from his appearance. “There is a presence of Jaish militants in the area. They could have carried out the attack,” he added.

Former chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti condemned the attack.

“I unreservedly condemn the dastardly and cowardly militant attack on the J&K police SPO Fayaz Ahmad, his wife and his young daughter at their home last night. I pray they receive their place in Jannat (heaven) and their loved ones find strength during this terrible time,” Omar tweeted.

“No words are strong enough to condemn the cowardly attack in Awantipora that claimed the lives of a JKP officer Fayaz Ahmad, his wife and daughter. May Allah Ta’aala grant them maghfirat and their loved ones the fortitude to bear this loss,” Mehbooba said in a tweet.