*CM directs speedy investigations
Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, June 15: Gunmen shot dead a former militant this morning in restive Sopore area of Baramulla district taking the number of killings at their hands in less than a week to four.
The killing took place hours ahead of today’s special security review meeting conducted by the top security officials of Kashmir valley aimed at devising strategy to prevent the recent killing spree in Sopore and provide sense of security to the people.
Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, this afternoon took serious note of the series of killings in Sopore and directed the Home Department to step up investigations into the killings and provide secure environment to people.
An official spokesman said that Police has taken all possible steps to fast-track investigation into all the relevant aspects of the incidents and has set up special monitoring mechanism to keep track of proper investigation. “Government is making all out efforts to ensure the safety and security of the innocent civilians.
Sources said that two gun men shot dead a former militant of Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, Aijaz Ahmad Reshi, 40, in Mundji area of the restive Sopore this morning at around 8.15 am. He was shot dead near his shop outside residence.
The gun men fled from the scene after carrying out the attack but were chased by a stray dog. The canine attacked one of them but the other militants pumped two bullets into his body leading to the death of the animal.
Reshi was removed to hospital for treatment where he was declared as brought dead. He was earlier associated with Harkat and had served five years jail term.
The Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of police, North Kashmir, Gareeb Das told reporters that police has got vital clues about the militants involved in the killing spree. “We have identified several of them and hopefully we will soon neutralize them.”
Dass said the militants want to create fear among locals by targeting civilians. “We have done detailed investigation over why this local group is targeting civilians. We will brief you in coming days about their motive behind carrying out killing of civilians,” he said.
Soon after the killing of former militant a special security review meeting that was scheduled for today to discuss the situation in restive Sopore in the back drop of recent attacks.
The meeting was chaired by General Officer Commanding (GOC) 15 Corps, Lt General Subrata Saha and Director General of Police, K Rajendra and was attended by various police, Army and para-military force officials.
DIG North Kashmir, Gareeb Das briefed the meeting about the recent killings and men behind it. He suggested the measure to prevent such killings and providing sense of security to the people of the area.
The meeting suggested intensifying security patrols in the sensitive areas and conducting searches against the militants responsible for the killings.
The meeting as per the recent pattern described the Hurriyat Conference activists and former militants as the potential targets of the recent killing spree.
Sopore Town and its peripheries have seen surge in target killings since May 25, when a Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) franchise was attacked by Lashkar-e-Islam militants after they directed all telecoms to shut down. The attack left an employee of franchise dead and two injured. It was followed by killing of landlord of a telecom tower.
On June 9, the gunmen killed Sheikh Altaf-ur-Rehman, who was an activist of Hurriyat Conference headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani. Two more people were killed on June 12 and 14 in Bomai and Noorbagh areas of Sopore.
Soon after Reshi’s killing, the police and Army cordoned off whole Mundji and sealed the roads leading to the village. Police and Army carried out searches in the area.
The killing led to tension in Sopore and its adjoining areas especially to the Hurriyat Conference activists and former militants.
There was spontaneous shutdown in Sopore and Baramulla townships of North Kashmir against the killings.
There were also protests at Old Town, Main Chowk in Baramulla as well as in Main Chowk Sopore. Protesters clashed with police at several places.
The Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik on reaching restive Sopore held a sit-in protest against the killing spree.
Malik held a sit-in protest at Main Chowk Sopore against the killings along with dozens others including JKLF supporters.
The Hurriyat Conference factions led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Omar Farooq and JKLF today called for strike on Wednesday and a protest march to Sopore on Friday against the killings in Sopore. They blamed the “Indian secret agencies” for the killings.
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