This year since January, the Kashmir valley has seen 16 targeted killings which include police officials, sarpanches, and teachers. DGP Dilbag Singh has said that those targeting minorities, civilians, and people in government are “only propagating fear since local residents have stopped responding to their diktat”.
He has said, by attacking the members from different parts of the valley as well as from the different sections of the society “the terrorists want to show their presence”. By attacking people whose “right to residence in Kashmir is questioned by terrorists, they are creating (an) atmosphere for Kashmiris to be attacked outside the UT”, he said.
These episodes of targeted killings have spiked after the son of the owner of Krishna Dhaba was shot in Srinagar inside his restaurant. He died after two days at the hospital.
Later on October 5, 2021, M.L. Bindroo a prominent chemist was killed, which prompted outrage from the political leadership and the civil society. Just two days later, Supinder Kour, principal of Govt. Boys Higher Secondary along with Deepak Chand was killed in the school after the attackers checked the identity cards of the staff.
In the year 2021 total of 182 terrorists and around 35 civilians were killed in the valley. As these incidences of targeted killings were on the rise in the valley, police attributed this to the “killing of a huge number of terrorists of all outfits, especially their leaderships, destruction of their support structures and continuous and effective maintenance of law and order”.
The police also said that the militants had become “frustrated” and changed their strategy to target unarmed policemen, innocent civilians, politicians, and “now innocent civilians from minority communities, including women”. The security forces also have highlighted the use of pistols in these incidents. They said, “these acts are committed by newly recruited terrorists or those who are about to join terrorist ranks. In some cases, overground workers (OGWs) have been found directly involved.”
Recently a bank manager of the Elaqahi Dehati Bank was shot in the office. He belonged to Rajasthan and had just gotten married a few months back. This was the second case of target killings in the valley in the last 72 hours.
