Ex-Sarpanch Killed, Tourist Couple Shot At By Terrorists In Kashmir In Back-To-Back Attacks

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Last Updated:May 19, 2024, 11:14 IST

The police has confirmed the attacks and the areas of attack has been cordoned off

Two terrorists have been injured due to the terror attack in J&K's Anantnag (L& C), former sarpnach who has been killed in another attack (R)
(Image: News18)

Two days ahead of Lok Sabha elections in Baramulla, terrorists struck at two places in Kashmir on Saturday night, killing a former sarpanch in Shopian and injuring a tourist couple from Rajasthan in Anantnag. An open tourist camp near Pahalgam and a former sarpanch at Hirpora in south Kashmir were targeted.

“Terrorists fired upon and injured a woman, Farha, a resident of Jaipur (in Rajasthan) and her spouse Tabrez at Yannar in Anantnag. The injured were evacuated to a hospital for treatment. The area has been cordoned off. Further details shall follow," the Kashmir Zone Police posted on X. The tourist couple’s father Aslam Khan said, “My younger son went on a tour on May 13. When they were going to a hotel, two people came on a motorbike and opened fire on them. Both of them got injured. I request the Indian government to bring them from Srinagar to AIIMS Delhi and provide them with the best medical facilities."

In another attack, within half an hour, terrorists shot dead former sarpanch Aijaz Sheikh in Shopian’s Hirpora around 10.30 pm, the officials said. Sheikh, who was associated with the BJP, was rushed to a hospital where he succumbed to injuries. The areas in Anantnag and Shopian have been cordoned off and search operations have been launched to nab the attackers. The back-to-back attacks come at a time when campaigning for the parliamentary polls in the Anantnag-Rajouri seat is going on. Polling in Baramulla will be held on May 20 in the fifth round of the seven-phase general elections. Political parties in Jammu and Kashmir, including the National Conference, PDP and the BJP, condemned the attacks.

Former chief minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, who is contesting the Lok Sabha elections from the Anantnag-Rajouri seat, said on X, “While we condemn the attack in Pahalgam today that resulted in injuries to two tourists followed by another attack on a (former) sarpanch in Hirpora, Shopian – the timing of these attacks given that the south election was delayed without any reason is a cause of concern. Especially keeping in mind normalcy claims touted by GOI (Government of India)." Polling for the seat was scheduled to be conducted on May 7 but was deferred after few political parties in Jammu and Kashmir raised concerns over weather conditions. Polling will now being held on May 25.

National Conference President Farooq Abdullah and Vice President Omar Abdullah also condemned the terror attacks. “They have said that such acts of brutality remain a serious impediment to achieving long-term peace in J-K. They urged all communities to come together in these challenging times and support efforts towards lasting harmony. Their thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families during this difficult period," a statement from the party said.

#WATCH | Jammu & Kashmir BJP spokesperson, Altaf Thakur says, “It’s a sad thing that tourists are being attacked and one party worker of the BJP, Aijaz Ahmad being killed. It’s an output of the frustration of Pakistan and militants due to heavy voter turnout in Srinagar… Today… https://t.co/GF4LTK64r4 pic.twitter.com/666pj8ssHP— ANI (@ANI) May 19, 2024

The BJP in a statement said, “We strongly condemn the killing of ex-sarpanch Aijaz Ahmad Sheikh in Hirpora, Shopian, South Kashmir, by terrorists today." “Aijaz Ahmad was a brave soldier of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Jammu and Kashmir. The BJP firmly stands with the family of Aijaz Ahmad, who lost his life in this terror attack," it said.

BJP spokesperson for Kashmir Altaf Thakur said, “It’s a sad thing that tourists are being attacked and one party worker of the BJP, Aijaz Ahmad being killed. It’s an output of the frustration of Pakistan and militants due to heavy voter turnout in Srinagar. Today Kashmiris want to vote and have denied terrorism. They want to take part in mainstream politics and by using the constitutional right and through democracy they want to establish their representative."

“I think the administration is also responsible for this incident. A few days back the BJP wrote to the DC that he (Aijaz Ahmad) had a threat and asked the administration to provide him the accommodation, but the DC hasn’t taken it seriously. I think the DC is responsible for the killing of Aijaz Saheb. Today, we will hold a protest for the same in Srinagar. The day after tomorrow, we will do ‘gherao’ of the DC office and seek answers from him," he added.