Amid a spate of civilian killings in the Valley, a street vendor and carpenter were killed in separate attacks by unidentified terrorists on Saturday evening in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar and Pulwama. Both the victims have been identified as Arvind Kumar from Bihar’s Banka district and Sagir Ahmed from Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur.
Kumar, a gol gappa vendor, was attacked on the streets of Srinagar. While Ahmed, a carpenter by profession, was killed by the terrorists at his rented room in Pulwama.
Taking to Twitter, Jammu and Kashmir Police said, “Terrorists fired upon 2 #NonLocal 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."
Later, the police said Ahmad also succumbed to the injuries. The security forces have reached both the spots and cordoned off the areas to nab the attackers.
“#NonLocal 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," police tweeted.
#NonLocal 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. @JmuKmrPolice https://t.co/5q5TUQbRnl— Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) October 16, 2021
Condemning the incidents, J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha asserted that the terrorists will be punished soon for killing innocent civilians. “Perpetrators of these heinous attacks will be punished soon. We have intensified our efforts to crush terrorists & their ecosystem. They will have to pay a very heavy price for killing innocent civilians. I urge people to speak in one voice & join hands in the fight against terror," Sinha tweeted.
Perpetrators of these heinous attacks will be punished soon. We have intensified our efforts to crush terrorists & their ecosystem.They will have to pay a very heavy price for killing innocent civilians.I urge people to speak in one voice & join hands in the fight against terror.— Office of LG J&K (@OfficeOfLGJandK) October 16, 2021
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 Lakh for Kumar’s family.
Former chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah have strongly condemned the incidents. Mufti tweeted, “Strongly condemn today’s attack on a street vendor who sadly succumbed. Such unfortunate incidents only reinforce the immediate need to reach out to the people of J&K by initiating a constructive dialogue."
Strongly condemn today’s attack on a street vendor who sadly succumbed. Such unfortunate incidents only reinforce the immediate need to reach out to the people of J&K by initiating a constructive dialogue.— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) October 16, 2021
“Strongly condemn the killing of street vendor Arvind Kumar in a terror attack in Srinagar today. This is yet another case of a civilian being targeted like this. All Arvind Kumar did was come to Srinagar in search of earning opportunities & it’s reprehensible that he was murdered," Abdullah tweeted.
Strongly condemn the killing of street vendor Arvind Kumar in a terror attack in Srinagar today. This is yet another case of a civilian being targeted like this. All Arvind Kumar did was come to Srinagar in search of earning opportunities & it’s reprehensible that he was murdered— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) October 16, 2021
In the last few days, two teachers named Supinder Kour and Deepak Chand, a prominent Kashmiri Pandit and the owner of Srinagar’s famous pharmacy Makhan Lal Bindroo, and a ‘chaat’ vendor Virendra Paswan from Bihar were among those killed by the terrorists recently.
On Friday, a militant involved in the recent civilian killings in Srinagar was gunned down in an encounter with security forces in Pulwama district. Security forces received information about the presence of militants in the Wahibug area of Pulwama, following which a cordon and search operation there, police said. The slain ultra was identified as Shahid Bashir Sheikh, a resident of Srinagar, police said. They said one AK-47 rifle, along with ammunition, was recovered from the site of the encounter.
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