Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, June 9: Police today said that militants shot dead an employee of Health Department, who was also associated with the Hurriyat Conference (G) headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani, in Sopore this morning.
The police spokesman said that militants shot dead one Mohammad Altaf Sheikh son of Mohammad Yusuf Sheikh of Iqbal Nagar at Sopore Bus Stand this morning. He died on the spot. Police have registered a case and are investigating the matter.
Official sources said that Sheikh, 45, was shot at and injured by gunmen and he received three out of six bullets fired at him. The gunmen escaped after firing at him, leaving Sheikh in a pool of blood. He was removed to the Sopore Hospital where doctors declared him as brought dead.
The doctor said that he had received bullets in heart, head and arm and was dead on arrival to hospital. They said that they tried to revive him but couldn’t.
Sheikh was a member of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat led by Syed Ali Geelani. His father Mohammad Yusuf, returned home in 2004 via Nepal from Pakistan and is a senior member of Jamat-e-Islami as well as Hurriyat Conference headed by Geelani. He had fled to Pakistan in 1990s.
Army, Police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) reached the spot and took stock of the situation. They also launched searches for the gunmen responsible for the killing.
The killing led to a spontaneous shutdown in the Sopore town. There were also protests by the residents against his killing.
Sheikh’s funeral was held at Iqbal market in the afternoon in which hundreds of people, including separatist leaders participated.
Sheikh was last week picked up by police for questioning along with 11 other persons during investigation of recent telecom attacks and appearance of posters of Lashkar-e-Islam and Tehreeq-e-Taliban Jammu and Kashmir. However, he was later let off after questioning.
The Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani expressed his deep sorrow and grief over the killing of Sheikh. He has called for a complete shutdown in Baramulla district on Wednesday against it.
The killing took place in the backdrop of recent war of words through statements between chairman of Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and the LeI. Geelani termed LeI as Indian agents while they also targeted the senior separatist leader for his remarks.
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