At least 12 civilians died in the current year in different militancy related incidents. Unknown gunmen gunned down 9 civilians including a businessman, 2 Municipal Councilors and a Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leader.
The data available with news agency Kashmir News Trust reveals that two among the 12 slain civilians died in Sopore when militants attacked a police patrol while a civilian died in a grenade attack in Barbarshah area of Srinagar.
A youth Nadif Hanief Khan of Bilal Colony Soura in Buchpora who was critically injured when gunmen fired at him in Soura area of Srinagar city in the first week of December last year succumbed to his injuries in the last week of January this year.
Gunmen shot at son of Krishna Dhaba owner Akash Mehra in security zone of Sonwar Srinagar on February 17 evening. Mehra battled for life in the hospital for over 10 days before he succumbed to his injuries on 28 February.
In the last week of March, in an audacious attack, militants killed two Councillors Riyaz Pir and Shamsuddin in Sopore town of North Kashmir’s Baramulla district. The security guard of one of the Councilors was also killed in the attack.
Police recently held LeT militant Mudasir Pandit and his 2 associates responsible for the attack on Councilors who were killed in Brath Sopore encounter.
In the second week of April this year, unknown gunmen killed a civilian Naseer Khan at Buchipora Budgam while two youth Sanjeet Parrey and Shahnawaz Bhat were killed by unknown gunmen at Jablipora Bijbehara in the last week of March.
Municipal Committee Tral head and BJP leader Rakesh Pandit was gunned down by suspected militants in the first week of June. In the second week of June, militants attacked a police patrol in Sopore. The attack according to police left two cops and two civilians Manzoor Ahmed Shalla of Shalimar Colony Sopore and Bashir Ahmed of Mahrajpora Sopore dead.
Militants recently strike in Srinagar and shot dead a shopkeeper Umar Nazir Bhat of Kailashpora Tankipora in Habba Kadal area of Srinagar.
Yesterday, a civilian identified as Mudasir Ahmad Bhat, son of Abdul Rashid Bhat of Hanji Gund Beerwah died in a grenade attack at Barbarshah area of Kashmir capital Srinagar. (KNT)