The highway attack came close on the heels of three major operations against militants, jointly conducted by Baramulla police and the security forces in the district. Dilbagh Singh, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Baramulla-Kupwara Range, said, ``Such attacks are on expected lines as police have launched an offensive against the militants in north Kashmir. In most of these operations, launched jointly by the police and security forces, it is the police that easily get a tip-off about the presence of militants,'' Singh said.

A police official said the attack on SSP Abdul Qayooom Manhas might be a reprisal of the recent operations in Sangrama and Panzipora, where some top Lashkar militants were killed in joint operations of police and security forces.

Earlier, militants had killed an assistant sub-inspector of Special Operation Group and another cop on November 5 at Wagoora. The policemen were killed when militants stormed an examination centre. The slain were part of the SOG Panzla Camp.

Singh said that the Al-Badr militants were involved in Saturday's attack on Baramulla SSP. ``They were looking for me as the militants were asked by their mentors to repeat the Vaid incident. It was a matter of minutes," he futher said.