Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Oct 7 : In a shocking incident, militants today shot dead two teachers of minority communities in Srinagar.
An official said that militants barged into Government Boys Higher Secondary School Sangam, Eidgah in Srinagar and shot dead two teachers from point blank range. He identified them as a Sikh woman Satinder Kaur who was principal of the school and a Kashmiri Hindu teacher Deepak Chand.
A teacher said that they were having tea and the Principal Satinder Kaur and teacher Chand were in the lawn. “We heard firing shots and we were terrified. Later locals came and then only we came out and saw both of them in pool of blood”, he said.
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Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbagh Singh today said that killing of unarmed civilians in Srinagar is a move to damage and attack the age-old traditional communal harmony in Kashmir and police has already got some clues about previous killings and will also probe the fresh incident too. He, however, was quick to add that the killers will be nabbed very soon.
Speaking to reporters outside the Government Boys Higher Secondary School Sangam, Eidgah, Srinagar, the DGP said that killing of innocent civilians reflects “frustration and barbarism.”
“This is an attempt to defame local Muslims of Kashmir. Killing innocent civilians including teachers is a move to attack and damage the age-old tradition of communal harmony and brotherhood in Kashmir,” he said.
He said killing innocents is a conspiracy to “target local ethos and values” which will be defeated by the police and people collectively.
He said that police have got some clues and leads about the killers in previous cases and that the fresh case will be probed too. “I talked to staff members of the school and they are in total shock over losing two colleagues. Police will nab the killers very soon,” he said.
He said TRF is responsible for these killings and it is front group of all militants organizations like Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and Hizbul Mujahideen. “There is a pattern as they want to terrorise the minority community”, he said.
A pall of gloom descended in Aloochibagh area of Srinagar as the body of the Kaur reached the locality. Hundreds of people gathered there to attend the last rites of Kaur.
Two days ago, a famous Kashmiri Hindu Pharmacist was shot dead by militants in Srinagar. For last one week seven civilians were killed in Kashmir, three of them minority Hindu and Sikh communities. An official said that this year 25 political workers and civilians were killed in a series of target killings.
In the meantime, Inspector General of Police Kashmir, Vijay Kumar said that during this year, so far 28 civilians have been killed by militants. “Out of 28, five persons belong to local Hindu/Sikh community and 2 non-local Hindu labourers. Due to killing of huge number of terrorists of all outfits specially their leaderships, destruction of their support structures and continuous and effective maintenance of law & order, terrorists’ handlers across have got frustrated and changed their strategy and started targeting unarmed policemen, innocent civilians, politicians and now innocent civilians from minority communities including woman”, he said.
“In all such cases terrorists have been using pistols. These acts are committed by newly recruited terrorists or those who are about to join terrorist’s rank. In some cases, OGWs have been found directly involved. J&K Police is working hard and we are identifying all such part-time/hybrid terrorists and strictest action shall be taken against them”, he added.
The IGP said that several leads against the killers have been received and security forces will launch operations soon.
“We have received several leads and are working on it. We have also been launching operations along with security forces. We appeal to general public specially minority communities not to panic. We have been maintaining peace and secured environment and will continue to do so”, he said.
Meanwhile, militants today hurled a grenade at a security forces bunker in Safakadal area of the city, but there was no loss of life in the blast, officials said.
The ultras lobbed the grenade towards a CRPF bunker at Braripora in Safakadal area around 8.40 pm, they said.
They said the grenade hit the netting of the bunker and exploded on the roadside, without causing any damage to human life.
However, windowpanes of a private vehicle were damaged in the blast, the officials said.
Civilian shot dead by CRPF
A civilian was killed in CRPF firing after the vehicle in which he was travelling ignored a signal to stop at Monghall bridge in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district this evening.
Police said that a Silver colour Scorpio was asked to stop by the naka party of 40 Bn CRPF at Monghall bridge.
“After the car did not stop, the CRPF personnel fired some shots towards the vehicle, resulting in on spot death of a man,” they said.
They said that the identification of the person is being ascertained. “A suspected vehicle without number was asked to stop by the Naka party. However, it rushed towards the Naka party. It was then challenged by the on duty troops. Troops fired upon in self- defence and one person died. But the driver managed to escape. identification and credential of deceased person is being verified,” he said.
However, an official said that the person who was killed is from Jajjar Kotli Jammu and identified him as Yasir Ali. Police has not revealed yet.
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