Jammu and Kashmir: Suspected militants kill 2 NC workers in Srinagar; Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba condemn shooting

Two workers of the National Conference (NC) party were shot dead in Srinagar’s Karfali Mohalla area. Suspected militants opened fire at three party workers outside their house at around 11.30 am on Friday. The third worker was seriously injured, while the other two were dead by the time their bodies reached the hospital. NC leader and former chief minister Omar Abdullah expressed shock at the violence against members of his party. He said, “I cannot condemn strongly enough the murderous terrorist attack against three of my party workers.” According to reports, hundreds of police forces have rushed to the spot and barricades have been put up in the area. The police has also cut off on the entry and exit points of Srinagar to trace the culprits.

I cannot condemn strongly enough the murderous terrorist attack against three of my party workers. Nazir Ahmed Bhat (working in the office of MLA Shamima Firdous) & Mushtaq Ahmed Wani have been killed. Allah Jannat naseeb karey.

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) October 5, 2018

At around 11.30 am on Friday, Mushtaq Ahmed Wani and Nazir Ahmed Bhat were shot dead outside their houses in the Habbakadal area of Srinagar. They were immediately taken to SMHS Hospital where two of them were declared dead on arrival. According to sources, the victims were close aides of NC MLA Shamima Firdous. Eyewitnesses reports said that Shakeel Ahmad Zangoo, who was injured in the shooting, ran from the scene when the firing started. The shooters followed him and shot him from a distance. The bullet reportedly hit his arm. ANI quoted SSP Srinagar Imtiaz Ismail Parray as saying, “Two people have been killed. They had some political background… we are ascertaining more details.”

Abdullah, in a series of tweets, condemned the shooting and said:

Shakeel Ahmad Zangoo has been injured & is in hospital. I pray for his complete & speedy recovery. May the families of Nazir, Mushtaq & Shakeel find strength in this most difficult time.

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) October 5, 2018

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti also reacted strongly to the incident and said: “Pained to hear about the killing of two NC workers. My heart goes out to their families and children. Cannot possibly imagine what they must be going through.” In response to Mehbooba’s tweet, Abdullah responded: “Thank you for your kind words at this difficult time @MehboobaMufti Sahiba. I’m sure your message of support will give the family some strength at this difficult time.” According to sources, a senior official said that three civilians were fired upon in a congested area the old city. Meanwhile, the whole area has been cordoned off in an effort to nab the attackers. Sources said that Nazir was the PRO of MLA Firdous. The incident, which is the first major politically-motivated killing in recent times, comes two days ahead of polling for first phase of elections for urban local bodies in Kashmir. With inputs from Sameer Yasir and agencies.