NC block president gunned down

Militants strike in Srinagar

Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, June 15: A day after police busted a Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) module in Srinagar, militants this afternoon again struck in the summer capital of the State by gunning down a National Conference (NC) worker in broad day light.
Police said that NC block president, Abdul Rehman Ganaie, was shot at twice by two motorcycle-borne militants from close range in his Natipora locality at around 1.35 p.m.
Ganai was on his way to Masjid to offer Friday prayers when he was shot at from point blank range. He was fired at twice and he received bullets in the chest.
The mortar cycle-borne militants fled from the scene, leaving Ganai in a pool of blood. He was immediately removed to near by Bone and Joint Hospital where doctors declared him brought dead.
Senior police officers immediately rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation. The area was immediately cordoned off and a massive manhunt was launched for the militants responsible for the attack.
Senior NC leaders including Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Ali Mohammad Sagar, and provincial president of the NC, Ali Mohammad Dar, joined hundreds of people who took part in his last rites.
The attack comes a day after Srinagar police busted a militant module that was responsible for an attempted car blast in Srinagar last month. The car laden with explosives was detected last month in the same area where NC block president was killed today.
The car laden with explosives was parked near Chanpora bridge adjacent to Natipora locality but police detected it in time and averted a major tragedy. The car bomb was later defused by the police.
According to police, militants are targeting Srinagar and other major towns to make their presence felt. According to Director General of Police, K Rajendra, militants are under pressure from their handlers to act and these acts are in desperation on their part. He said for every one of the acts, police prevents several of them.
Early this month, militants shot at a former militant commander, Ghulam Hassan Mir, at Saderbal, Srinagar. Hailing from Tral area, he had shunned the path of violence and was doing his business in Saderbal.
Last month, militants also fired at Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel at Khanyar injuring 7 CRPF men.
Sources said that the militants are planning targeted attacks across Kashmir valley to disturb the peace. After 2008, 2009 and 2010 summer violence in Kashmir during which militants lied low, they are now trying to intensify their activities across Kashmir valley.
The attack on the Panchs and Sarpanchs and released militants has created scare among them with the result 15 of them have resigned recently. This happened after posters appeared in parts of South and North Kashmir asking Panchs and Sarpanchs to resign and attack on a couple of them.
According to police, militants modules operating from the peripheries of Srinagar city are targeting Srinagar from outside. Police said that these militants plan attacks from outside Srinagar and leave Srinagar soon after carrying out attacks due to intensified vigil in Srinagar. Police said that easy connectivity across valley makes militant movement possible from peripheries to Srinagar.