Srinagar: Two non-local residents were killed and another sustained injuries when unknown gunmen fired upon them in the Kulgam district of south Kashmir on Sunday evening.
Police said the gunmen fired at them at Wanpoh, leaving two persons — Raja Reshi Dev and Jogindar Reshi Dev, both from Bihar — dead on the spot and another person wounded.
The injured person was taken to the Government Medical College in Anantnag.
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The police said that the condition of the injured man, Chun Chun Reshi Das, son of Teju Das of Bihar, is stated to be stable.
“He has firearm injury in back and arm. His condition is stated to be stable,” Dr Iqbal Sofi, Medical Superintendent, GMC Anantnag, said.
The militants entered the rented accommodation of the labourers and fired on them indiscriminately, news agency PTI reported officials as saying.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha condemned the "despicable terror attack", saying that security forces will give a befitting reply.
"I strongly condemn the despicable terror attack on Civilians in Kulgam. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. I pray for the speedy recovery of injured," the Lt. Governor wrote in a tweet.
Bihar Chief Minister Announces Ex Gratia For Victims' Kin
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had announced Rs 2 Lakh each ex gratia from CM's relief fund for kin of Raja Reshi Dev and Joginder Reshi Dev killed by terrorists in Kulgam.
CM Nitish Kumar also spoke to J&K Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and expressed his concern over the killings, ANI reported.
The fresh terrorist attack comes after two non-locals were shot dead by militants in the Srinagar and Pulwama districts of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday.
Arvind Kumar Sah (30), a resident of the Banka area in Bihar, was shot at by the ultras outside a park at Eidgah in Srinagar in the evening, a police official had said. Kumar died on the spot.
In the second incident, militants on Saturday fired at and critically injured Saghir Ahmad, a carpenter hailing from Uttar Pradesh, in Pulwama district, the official informed.
Ahmad succumbed to injuries in a hospital, he added.
The Saturday killings came on a day when police claimed to have gunned down three militants in a span of 24 hours who were involved in last week's killings of members of minority communities.
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11 Lives Claimed By Targetted Killings In J&K
With the four killings in two days, the total number of victims killed in such attacks in the valley has reached 11.
Previously, the killing of the government teachers earlier this month took the number of such deaths in Kashmir valley to seven, including four from minorities.
The teachers who died on October 7 were identified as Supinder Kour, a resident of Alochi Bagh area in Srinagar, and Deepak Chand, a resident of Jammu. They were working as teachers at Government Boys School, Sangam, news agency PTI reported.
Prior to this, on October 6, three civilians were shot dead by militants within two hours in separate incidents in the Srinagar and Bandipora districts of Jammu and Kashmir.
The victims included Makhan Lal Bindroo, a Kashmiri Pandit and owner of Srinagar's most famous pharmacy. He was shot dead by the assailants from point-blank range while he was at his pharmacy.
Within an hour, militants killed a non-local street vendor in the Hawal area of the city. The vendor, identified as Virender, used to sell bhel puri and was also shot at point-blank range. He died on the spot.
Then within minutes of the second killing, the third victim Mohammad Shafi Lone was shot dead at Naidkhai in Bandipora district in North Kashmir.
Before that, militants had shot dead Majid Ahmad Gojri, a resident of Chattabal Srinagar, at Karan Nagar on October 2.
Later that night, another civilian Mohammad Shafi Dar, resident of Batamaloo, was shot at and injured at SD Colony Batamaloo. He succumbed to the injuries.
(With Inputs From Agencies)