The Centre on Tuesday claimed that there was no presence of the Islamic State group in Jammu and Kashmir, a day after the militant group claimed responsibility for gunning down a policeman in Srinagar.

“There is no physical infrastructure or manpower of the Islamic State group in the Valley,” PTI quoted a Home Ministry spokesperson as saying. “It does not exist in the Valley.”

Constable Farooq Ahmed Yatoo was killed when militants fired at him in Srinagar’s Soura locality. Yatoo was posted as a guard outside separatist leader Fazal Haq Qureshi’s home. The militants escaped with his rifle.

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The Islamic State group’s mouthpiece, the Al Amaq News Agency, on Monday claimed responsibility for the attack. “Assassinated an element of police in firing near city of Srinagar in Kashmir yesterday,” the agency said, according to The Indian Express.

Jammu and Kashmir Directore General of Police SP Vaid has, however, claimed that it was a “worrying sign” that Islamic State group had now carried out the attack, according to PTI.