A Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO), a militant and a J&K Apni Party leader were killed in two separate militancy related incidents in the Union Territory on Thursday.
A JCO of the Army’s Rashtriya Rifles suffered bullet injuries in a “fierce gunbattle” with hiding militants in the Pir Panjal valley’s Rajouri district in the morning. “The JCO was immediately evacuated to a nearest medical facility but he died of his injuries,” the spokesman said.
The JCO was identified as Subedar Ram Singh.
One soldier was was injured in the operation.
One militant was also killed but his body was not retrieved till last reports came in, the police said. “The operation is on in the area.”
On August 9, two militants of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) were killed in Thanamandi area.
Apni Party leader killed
Suspected militants killed a J&K Apni Party leader in south Kashmir's Kulgam.
Gunmen opened fire from a close range at Ghulam Hassan Lone at his home in Devsar. “He died on the way to hospital,” officials said.
J&K Apni Party is headed by Altaf Bukhari, a businessman-turned-politician and a former Peoples Democratic Party leader, who floated the party in 2020.
Leaders condemn attack
Mr. Bukhari termed the killing “extremely unfortunate”. “Such attacks are intended to stop the current ongoing peace process in J&K. These reprehensible acts of violence are going to yield nothing,” he said.
Political parties condemned the attack. “Unfortunately, there seems to be no end to the spree of political killings in Kashmir. (I) Unreservedly condemn the killing of Apni party leader. My deepest condolences to the bereaved family,” Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti said.
National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah said the renewed trend of targeting mainstream politicians by militant outfits was very worrying. “I condemn the same in the strongest possible terms,” he added.
Peoples Conference chief Sajad Lone said the recent spate of attacks on the mainstream leaders was “worrying”. “Violence only brings misery to people. Such killings only create more widows and orphans. These heinous acts must cease,” he noted.
Three BJP leaders were killed in the Kashmir Valley in the past three months.
Policemen injured in Srinagar hrenade attack
In a late evening attack, militants detonated a grenade that left two policemen injured in Srinagar's Saraf Kadal area. “The target of militants was a joint checkpoint of the police and the CRPF. Two policemen were injured and were shifted to a hospital,” police officials said.
