Srinagar: At a time when entire valley is on a high security alert in the wake of target killings, two non-local residents were killed in two separate incidents in Srinagar and Pulwama on Saturday.
A police official said that a non-local resident was shot dead in the evening at Eidgah area of Srinagar. He was identified as Arvind Kumar Shah.
“He was fired from a close range and taken to SMHS hospital where he was declared brought dead on arrival,” the official said. The police sealed the area and a massive search operation was launched to nab the attackers.
Barely 30 minutes after the killing of Arvind, the gunmen killed another non-local resident, a carpenter by profession at Pulwama’s Litter village. The slain was identified as Sagir Ahmed, who was working as a carpenter at a local mill in Litter.
“He was rushed to District Hospital Pulwama for treatment where the doctors declared him as brought dead,” the official said.
The fresh killings of non-locals in Kashmir come close on the heels of targeted killings in which seven people including a famous chemist, two school teachers and a non-local vendor were killed. Police had claimed that militants involved in majority of the selected killings were neutralised in the recent encounters. However, fresh killings have left another challenge for the security forces as they have come at a time when entire Kashmir was on a high security alert.
Meanwhile, J&K LG Manoj Sinha tweeted: “I strongly condemn the brutal killings of Arvind Kumar Shah and Sagir Ahmad by militants. My heartfelt condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones. UT Govt stands in solidarity with the bereaved families in this hour of grief. Perpetrators of these heinous attacks will be punished soon. We have intensified our efforts to crush militants and their ecosystem. They will have to pay a very heavy price for killing innocent civilians. I urge people to speak in one voice and join hands in the fight against militancy.”
