Kashmiri Pandit killed, brother injured by unidentified gunmen

A Kashmiri Pandit was killed and his brother injured as unidentified gunmen opened fire at them in their apple orchard in Shopian district of southern Kashmir, the second incident in 24 hours in which minority community members were attacked in the Valley.
The attack took place in Chotigam village, where the two brothers, Sunil Kumar Bhat and Pitambar Kumar Bhat, were working in their apple orchard near their residence.

According to police officials, unidentified gunmen opened indiscriminate fire at the duo. Sunil succumbed to injuries while Pitambar was shifted to the army's Base hospital in Badami Bagh cantonment in Srinagar. His condition was said to be stable. After medico legal formalities, Sunil's body was shifted back to his native village in Shopian for the last rites.

On Monday late evening, a minority community member was injured when militants hurled a grenade in Gopalpora village of Budgam.

Bhat is the sixth person to have been killed by militants in Kashmir this month. Since the beginning of the year, 25 people have been killed in similar targeted attacks across the Valley.

A fresh spate of targeted killings of civilians, policemen and members of minority communities in May and June triggered a wave of fear across the Valley. Soon thereafter, the armed forces intensified anti-militancy operations and engaged in back-to-back encounters across the Valley. Scores of youngsters, suspected to be overground workers of militants, were questioned, detained and arrested by the forces, leading to a decline in the frequency of such attacks.

Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha, and political parties across the spectrum condemned Tuesday's attack. "Pained beyond words on despicable terror attack on civilians in Shopian. My thoughts are with the family of Sunil Kumar. Praying for speedy recovery of injured. The attack deserves strongest condemnation from everyone. Terrorists responsible for barbaric act will not be spared," said Sinha, who also visited Pitambar at the army's base hospital.

Former chief minister of J&K, Omar Abdullah, said, "I condemn the militant attack in Shopian unequivocally in which Sunil Kumar was killed and Pinto Kumar injured. My condolences to the family."

Another former chief minister, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, said every resident of J&K has become cannon fodder in Delhi's quest for manufactured normalcy in the Valley. "Terribly sorry to hear about the targeted killing in Shopian. Condolences to the deceased's family. GOI continues to behave like an ostrich with its head buried deep under the sand," she said.