Twin terror attacks amid elections remind threat of terrorism still persists in Kashmir

Srinagar: In a stark reminder of the persistent threat of terrorism in Kashmir, twin terror attacks on Saturday night resulted in the killing of a former sarpanch affiliated with the BJP and the injury of two tourists in southern districts of Shopian and Anantnag.

These incidents occurred amid the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, highlighting the enduring challenge of militancy in the region.

Almost simultaneously, the terrorists shot dead a former BJP sarpanch, identified as Aijaz Sheikh, in Shopian's Hirpora area. In another incident, two tourists from Jaipur were injured after terrorists opened fire at a tourist camp in tourist resort Yaneer in Anantnag.

The attack on tourists is a grim reminder of the fragility of peace and security in the region, which has seen significant efforts to revive tourism as a means to bolster the local economy in recent years.

The twin attacks have sent shockwaves through Kashmir, reigniting fears and concerns over the lingering presence of terrorism. Despite substantial efforts by security forces and the government to restore normalcy, these incidents reveal that remnants of militancy continue to pose a serious threat.

The timing of these attacks, amid the ongoing election process, is particularly concerning as it aims to disrupt the democratic process and instill fear among the populace.

A senior police officer said terrorist activities have reduced significantly, “but we cannot be complacent.” “The remnants of terrorist groups are like a dormant volcano. They can erupt at any time, causing havoc and destabilizing the fragile peace we’ve worked hard to establish,” he said.

A few months back, J&K police chief R R Swain citing the “increasing number of foreign terrorists and the decline in number of local terrorists”, said their fight ahead is going to be more against foreign terrorists.