Terrorists kill Bihar man in Kashmir

SRINAGAR: Terrorists shot dead Raja Shah, a 35-year-old roadside food vendor from Bihar, at Jablipora in Bijbehara area of south Kashmir’s Anantnag Wednesday evening, marking the third attack on non-Kashmiri workers in the Union territory this year.

Shah suffered critical gunshot wounds to his neck and abdomen and died en route to the hospital, police said.

While the motive remains unclear, initial reports indicate the involvement of terrorists targeting non-native residents in the area, amidst heightened security measures for the Lok Sabha elections. Polling in Anantnag-Rajouri is scheduled for May 7.

Authorities have launched an investigation to ascertain the motive behind these attacks, reminiscent of earlier instances, such as the targeted killing of two young men from Punjab, Amritpal Singh and Rohit Masih, in Srinagar on Feb 7. On April 8, a tourist taxi driver from New Delhi suffered bullet wounds in Shopian district. Paramjit Singh survived the attack, which occurred while he was transporting tourists along the Mughal Road connecting Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch districts of Jammu.

These attacks reignited concerns about the resurgence of targeted violence against non-natives in Kashmir valley, following a relatively calm period in 2023. In 2022, a total of 29 targeted killings were reported in J&K, including five Kashmiri Pandits.