Two non-local workers shot dead by militants in Srinagar

Two non-local workers were shot dead by unidentified militants in Safa Kadal area of Srinagar and south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Saturday evening.

Reports said 36-year-old Arvind Kumar, a resident of Bihar, who worked here as a street vendor, was shot at by pistol-borne militants in Safakadal area of old city at around 6:45 pm. Kumar was rushed to nearby SMHS hospital in Karanagar, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Minutes after the first incident another migrant worker identified as Sagir Ahmad of Utter Pradesh was shot dead in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.

“Terrorists fired upon 2 non local labourers in Srinagar & Pulwama. Shri Arvind Kumar Shah of Banka Bihar succumbed to injuries in Srinagar and Shri Sagir Ahmad of UP critically injured in Pulwama. Areas have been cordoned & searches started (sic),” Kashmir zone police tweeted.

Read: LeT commander among two militants killed in encounter in J&K's Pulwama

In another tweet, it said, “Non local labourer Shri Sagir Ahmad of Saharanpur, UP who was critically injured in a terror attack in Pulwama, also succumbed to his injuries. Search operations are in progress. Further details shall follow.”

Virendra Paswan, another street-vendor and a resident of Bhagalpur in Bihar, was shot dead by militants near Madina Chowk Lalbazar in Srinagar on October 5. An hour before killing Paswan, the militants had shot dead Makhan Lal Bindroo, a famous Kashmir Pandit businessman at his pharmacy near Iqbal Park in Srinagar. A cab driver, Mohammad Shafi Lone, was also shot dead in north Kashmir's Bandipora that evening.

On October 7, Supinder Kour, principal of Government Boys Higher Secondary school in Eidgah, Srinagar and a teacher at the same school, Deepak Chand, were shot dead by militants.

The attacks created a sense of general fear and widespread panic in the Valley, particularly among the minority communities. Since last one week, security forces have gone on offensive against the militants, killing 13 ultras in nine encounters across the Valley.

Police claimed that some of the slain militants were involved in the recent killings. The Resistance Front (TRF), believed to be an offshoot of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) outfit, claimed responsibility for the earlier killings issuing a warning that everyone other than "indigenous Kashmiris" would be treated as “occupiers” if they purchase property in J&K.

Check out latest videos from DH: