Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Feb 17: Son of the owner of popular Krishna Dhaba was shot at by militants from a close range and critically injured at Sonwar area of high security zone in Srinagar.
The militants shot Akash Mehra son of Ramesh Kumar Mehra outside his famous eatery at Sonwar this evening. He was immediately rushed to SMHS Hospital where his condition was stated to be critical.
The eatery is located in Durganag area of the city which is near the office of UN Military Observers Group for India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) and the residence of the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Justice.
The area was cordoned off and police are looking at the CCTV footage. Muslim Janbaz Force has claimed responsibility for the attack. “We will target those non-J&K citizens who get a Domicile Certificate and those who will sell land to them and the property brokers involved in such deals”, said a statement issued by MJF. However, an official said that he was J&K permanent resident.
This is the second attack on non-Kashmiri residents in the city after the abrogation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. Earlier in January, a jeweller, Satpal, settled in Kashmir for the last five decades, was shot dead. The Resistance Front, a shadow outfit of Lashkar-e-Taiba terror group, had claimed responsibility for the attack.
Meanwhile, police today arrested three militant associates of Hizbul-Mujahideen in Tral area of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
Police said that acting on specific information of militant movement, Awantipora Police along with 42 RR and 180 Bn CRPF launched search operations in Batagund and Dadsara villages of Tral.
Police said that during the search operations, three associates of Hizbul–Mujahideen were arrested.
Police said that the arrested associates are involved in providing shelter, logistics and transportation of arms and ammunition to the HM militants in Tral and Awantipora areas.
“During on spot questioning of the arrested associates IED material was recovered from the house of one of the arrested associate in Dadsara which includes 8 electric detonators, 7 nti-mechanism switches, 3 pressure switches/relay mechanism switches, one improvised switch and one anti-mine wireless antenna,” police said.
Those arrested have been identified as Shafat Ahmad Sofi son of Muzaffar Ahmad Sofi, a resident of Batagund, Majid Mohammad Bhat son of Lt. Gh. Mohammad Bhat and Umer Rashid Wani son of Abdul Rashid Wani—both residents of Dadsara.
He said that a case FIR number 09/202 stands registered against the arrested militant associates at Police Station Tral under relevant sections of law.
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