Srinagar: Terrorists shot dead a member of a minority community in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Sunday.
This is the first fatal attack on the minority community in Kashmir since October last year.
He has been identified as Sanjay Sharma, 45, son of Kashi Nath Pandit of Achan village of Pulwama.
Terrorists shot him at point blank range on Sunday morning near his home when he was on way to buy medicines from the market.
“He received critical bullet injuries and was rushed to a hospital where doctors declared him dead,” senior Police officials here said.
They said that the incident occurred at around 10:30 am on Sunday.
“Terrorists fired upon one civilian from a minority namely Sanjay SharmaS/O Kashinath Sharma R/O Achan Pulwama while on way to local market. He was shifted to hospital however, he succumbed to injuries. There was Armed guard in his village. Area cordoned off. Details shall follow (sic),” Kashmir Zone Police tweeted soon after the incident.
Sanjay previously worked as a teacher at a private school.
Since 2018, he had been working as an ATM guard at the J&K Bank.
This is the first attack on the minority community in the last four months and the second targeted attack on a civilian in two days in south Kashmir.
Two days ago, terrorists shot at and injured Asif Ali Ganai in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
His father, a Head Constable in the J&K Police, had been killed in a terrorist attack last year.
Police said that terrorists whose number was being ascertained attacked Sharma and fled from the spot. Sharma is survived by his wife and three kids, the youngest of whom was born last year.
As soon as the news of Sharma’s killing spread, hundreds of people from other villages reached his home and expressed solidarity with the victim’s family.
Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police, South Kashmir Range, Rayees Muhammad Bhat told reporters that Police and other security forces were acting swiftly and investigating the matter.
“The terrorists will be tracked down and neutralised soon,” he said. “A massive hunt has been launched to track the terrorists down.”
Sunday’s firing is the first targeted killing this year.
The last attack took place in October 2022 when a minority community member was shot dead by terrorists in south Kashmir’s Shopian district.