UP Labourer Shot Dead by Militants in J&K's Pulwama

SRINAGAR: A day after a police inspector was shot and critically injured by a suspected militant in Srinagar, the bullet-riddled body of a seasonal worker from Uttar Pradesh was found in J&K’s southern Pulwama district on Monday.

The victim has been identified as Mukesh Kumar. The police blamed his murder on separatist militants and said that a preliminary investigation has revealed that he was targeted by them in Pulwama’s Nowpora area.

The J&K police tweeted: “Terrorists fired upon one labourer identified as Mukesh of UP in Tumchi Nowpora area of Pulwama, who later succumbed to his injuries. Area cordoned off. Further details shall follow.”

However, local sources said that Kumar was found lying in a pool of blood at Tumchi by locals who immediately informed the police about it. He was taken to a nearby medical facility where the doctors pronounced him dead.

Meanwhile, J&K’s outgoing DGP Dilbagh Singh told reporters on the sidelines of a function at Zewan, near here, that  police inspector Masroor Ahmed Wani, who was shot by a militant at Srinagar’s Idgah ground, is recovering in the hospital. He said: “One of our officers was playing cricket and he was attacked. He is undergoing treatment and is recovering.”

In the backdrop of these incidents, Mr Singh said the J&K police cannot take things lightly and have to remain cautious as the threats persist. “The security situation in J&K has improved considerably but we cannot lower the guard. We have to remain cautious as threats are still there,” he said.

Mr Singh, who is retiring on October 31 and will be replaced as J&K DGP by special DG CID R.R. Swain, said the recent attempts by Islamic militants to sneak into J&K from PoJK after breaching the Line of Control were foiled in time as the anti-infiltration border grid is strong. “The neighbouring country continues to push in terrorists. Recently, five terrorists were killed in the Machil sector of Kupwara while one terrorist was killed in Jumagarh area of the same district yesterday. Earlier, two terrorists were neutralised in the Uri sector of Baramulla,” he said.

Asked about the reason behind the recent ceasefire violations in the Arnia sector of the international border with Pakistan, which left four BSF jawans and a woman resident injured, the police chief said: “Things are being verified as to what led to the firing incidents. Ceasefire brought a lot of respite for the border residents and I am hopeful it will stay.”

The latest reports from Kupwara said another infiltrating militant has been killed in the encounter with the security forces in Jumagarh sector of the LoC, raising the death toll to two. The operation is still going on, officials said.