Srinagar: Terrorists once again targeted Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley today, killing a member of the miniscule minority community and injuring his brother.
Sunil Kumar and Pintu Kumar were shot at by terrorists in an apple orchard at Chotigam area of Shopian, police said.
#Terrorists fired upon civilians in an apple orchard in Chotipora area of #Shopian. One person died and one injured,” police said in a tweet.
“Both belong to minority community. Injured person has been shifted to hospital. Area #cordoned off. Further details shall follow,” it added in the tweet.
This is the second targeted attack by terrorists on Hindus in Kashmir in the last 2 days.
On Sunday, the terrorists threw a grenade at a minority community member, causing injuries to him, in Gopalpora village of Budgam district.
Over the last one year, terrorists have carried out several targeted killings of Kashmiri Pandits and non-Kashmiris in the Valley.
Also read: Kashmir: Killer of Pandit employee Rahul Bhat among 3 terrorists gunned down
On August 12, terrorists killed a labourer, identified as 19-year-old Amrez of Madhepura Besarh in Bihar. He was shot at in Soadnara area of Bandipora and succumbed to injuries soon after.
Significantly, the killing of the labourer from Bihar came hours after the chief of Kashmir Zone police said all terrorists, except one, involved in targeted killings have been eliminated by the security forces.
“Except Basit Dar of LeT (Lashkar-e-Taiba), who would be either arrested or neutralised in encounter at the earliest, all terrorists involved in targeted killings have been neutralised in different encounters,” said Additional Director General of Police Vijay Kumar.
He made this statement after the killing of top terrorist Lateef Rather and two of his associates in an encounter in Budgam district of central Kashmir two days back.
Kumar had said Rather was involved in several civilian killings, including Kashmiri Pandit employee Rahul Bhat and a woman TV artist Amreen Bhat in May this year in Budgam.
Rahul Bhat, who was working in Kashmir under the PM’s Special Employment programme of 2010, was gunned down by 2 terrorists in his office in Budgam on May 12, triggering a huge uproar and agitation by other such employees.
The employees voiced concern over their safety in Kashmir and demanded relocation to Jammu.
Owing to security concerns, the 5000-odd such employees have not resumed work in Kashmir since the killing of Rahul Bhat.
