Srinagar, July 23 -- A head constable of the Jammu and Kashmir Police deployed on Amarnath Yatra security duty was allegedly shot dead by a lone terrorist in south Kashmir's Anantnag district on Wednesday, triggering a massive anti-terror operation and the detention of 2500 suspected overground workers (OGWs), officials aware of the matter said. The attack marks the first terror strike in Jammu and Kashmir since the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 civilians were killed at Baisaran meadow. It is also the first terror attack targeting Jammu and Kashmir Police personnel this year, they said. The incident took place around 12.30 pm at Lal Chowk in Anantnag town, officials said. According to police, head constable Aashiq Hussain Qureshi, 45, of the IRP 3rd Battalion and a resident of Beerwah in Budgam district, was critically injured after the terrorist opened fire at him from close range. He was rushed to the Government Medical College Hospital in Anantnag, where doctors declared him dead. Security forces immediately cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to trace the attacker. Following the killing, security forces launched a massive anti-terror crackdown across four districts of south Kashmir -- Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam, and detained 2500 suspected overground workers (OGWs) for questioning, police said. Chief minister Omar Abdullah also condemned the killing. "Deeply saddened by the death in the line of duty of Head Constable Ashiq Hussain of IRP 3rd Battalion J&K Police. HC Hussain made the ultimate sacrifice in a cowardly terror attack in Anantnag area of South Kashmir. I unequivocally condemn this attack and send my heartfelt condolences to the members of his family. May Allah grant him the highest place in Jannat," Abdullah wrote on X. Soon after the attack, a video purportedly showing an unidentified gunman shooting the policeman from close range surfaced on social media and went viral. Director General of Police (DGP) Nalin Prabhat reached Anantnag and chaired a high-level security review meeting following the incident. In a statement, the Cyber Police wing of Jammu and Kashmir Police cautioned media organisations and the public against circulating photographs or videos related to the attack. "It has been observed that certain media organisations and members of the public are circulating photographs and videos related to the terror incident in Anantnag. Cyber Police J&K cautions all media organizations and the general public to refrain from sharing, publishing, forwarding, or circulating such content on any platform. "Dissemination of such material may hamper ongoing investigations, compromise public security, and attract legal action under the relevant provisions of law. Strict action shall be taken against violators," the statement said. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha condemned the attack and said those responsible would be brought to justice. "I spoke with DGP Shri Nalin Prabhat to review the situation following the terror attack in Anantnag. My heartfelt condolences to the family of Head Constable Ashiq Hussain Qureshi, who sacrificed his life in the line of duty. The whole country stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the family of the martyr," Sinha said in a post on X. "I strongly condemn this cowardly attack. This heinous act will not go unpunished. J&K Police and our security forces are on the ground and will bring those responsible to justice," he added. CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami, People's Conference president Sajad Gani Lone and Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari also condemned the killing. "Such acts of violence are deeply reprehensible and must be condemned unequivocally. I express my deepest sympathies with the family, friends and colleagues of the slain policeman in this hour of grief," Tarigami said in a post on X. Qureshi is survived by his wife and three children....