Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Aug 19 : Militants today shot dead a Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party leader in Devsar area of South Kashmir’s Kulgam district.
The Zonal president Devsar of the AP, Ghulam Hussain Lone was shot outside his residence by militants this evening. leaving him in a pool of blood. He was shifted to district hospital Kulgam for treatment, where he was declared as brought dead.
Lone was previously affiliated with the People’s Democratic Party and joined the AP a few months ago.
Police and other security forces rushed to the area and an operation was launched against the militants responsible for the killing.
A police spokesman said: “Pertinently, neither the police records nor the activities of deceased indicated him to be a political worker. Besides, as on date no political party had indicated or intimated about his political affiliation. However, post incident Apni Party has claimed that the deceased was their political worker”.
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Lone’s killing is the fourth in the past two weeks in South Kashmir. A BJP Sarpanch and his wife were killed in Anantnag last week and two days back another BJP leader was killed in Brazloo Jageer area of Kulgam.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has condemned the killing of Lone, vowing to bring the perpetrators to justice very soon.
“Anguished to hear about the terror attack on political leader Ghulam Hassan Lone at Devsar, Kulgam. I strongly condemn this cowardly attack,” the LG tweeted.
“Perpetrators of this heinous act will be brought to justice very soon. My prayers & thoughts with bereaved family in this time of grief,” he added.
Various political parties have also condemned the killing of Lone.
“Unfortunately there seems to be no end to the spree of political killings in Kashmir. Unreservedly condemn the killing of Apni Party leader Ghulam Hassan Lone. My deepest condolences to the bereaved family,” PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti tweeted.
National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah said the “renewed trend” of militants targeting mainstream leaders is “very worrying”.
“Very sorry to hear about the assassination of Ghulam Hassan Lone in Devsar area of South Kashmir. This renewed trend of targeting mainstream politicians by militant outfits is very worrying & I condemn the same in the strongest possible terms. May Allah grant the departed Jannat,” Omar tweeted.
Peoples Conference chairman Sajad Gani Lone condemn the killing of Lone in Kulgam. “Recent spate of attacks on mainstream leaders is worrying. Violence only brings miseries to people. Such killings only create more widows and orphans. These heinous acts must cease,” he added.
Apni Party president Syed Muhammad Altaf Bukhari expressed profound grief over killing. He termed the news as extremely unfortunate while saying that such attacks are intended to stop the current ongoing peace process in J&K.
“These reprehensible acts of violence are going to yield nothing but they only add to the sufferings of the people. Nothing can justify the cold blooded innocent killing of a political worker who was just trying to resolve the pressing issues of the people of his area,” he said.
Meanwhile, militants this evening hurled a grenade at a security forces naka party at Saraf Kadal in Srinagar in which one cop identified as Javed Ahmad was injured. The area was immediately cordoned off and searches were conducted against suspected militants.
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