Srinagar: The targeted killing of civilians, particularly minorities, in Kashmir is aimed at creating an atmosphere of fear and damaging age-old communal harmony, Jammu and Kashmir Police Chief Dilbag Singh said after two teachers were shot dead by militants on Thursday.
The people who are targeting humanity, brotherhood and local ethos and values will be unmasked soon, Singh told reporters at the site of the latest militant attack — the Government Boys Higher Secondary School at Sangam, Eidgah, here.
“The incidents of targeting civilians in Kashmir since a few days are barbaric. Innocent people who are working for the society and have nothing to do with anyone are being targeted. This is an attempt to create an atmosphere of fear and to give it a communal colour so as to damage the communal harmony in Kashmir,” the Director General of Police (DGP) said.
The killing of the teachers took the number of civilians killed in the Kashmir Valley in the last five days to seven, including four from the valley’s minority communities. Six of those were killed in the city.
“We regret the back-to-back attacks in which civilians have been killed. We are working on the previous cases and the Srinagar police has got many clues and we will soon get the people behind such terror and barbaric attacks…. I am sure the police will be able to unmask them soon, he said.
Asserting that the attacks were an attempt to defame the Muslim community of Kashmir, Singh said that the terrorists are “acting on the directions of Pakistan” to put hurdles in the way of peace in the valley.
“This is an attempt to defame local Muslims of Kashmir. It is a conspiracy to target those who have come here for earning bread and butter. It is a conspiracy to damage the age-old tradition of communal harmony and brotherhood in Kashmir.
“Terrorists are terrorists and they are acting on the directions of the agencies across (the border) in Pakistan so that Kashmir is kept disturbed and hurdles are put in the way of peace in Kashmir. I am hopeful that people in Kashmir will not let this conspiracy succeed. We will work together and defeat their purpose,” he said.
The militant attack on the teachers, including a woman, took place around 11.15 am.
Follow this link to join our WhatsApp group: Join Now
Be Part of Quality Journalism |
Quality journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce and despite all the hardships we still do it. Our reporters and editors are working overtime in Kashmir and beyond to cover what you care about, break big stories, and expose injustices that can change lives. Today more people are reading Kashmir Observer than ever, but only a handful are paying while advertising revenues are falling fast. |
| ACT NOW |
| MONTHLY | Rs 100 |  |
| YEARLY | Rs 1000 | |
| LIFETIME | Rs 10000 | |
