School Principal, Teacher Shot Dead by Militants in Srinagar, Two Days After 3 Civilians Were Killed

Just two days after three civilians were shot dead in Srinagar and Bandipora, unidentified militants killed the principal and teacher of a school in Safa Kadal area of Srinagar.

Officials said the gunmen fired upon the duo, identified as principal Satinder Kaur from Alochibagh and Deepak Chand from Jammu, leaving them critically injured. They were shifted to SKIMS hospital where they were declared dead on arrival.

Reacting to the killings, Dilbagh Singh, JK DGP, said: “These incidents targeting civilians are abhorrent…this is an attempt to spread terror and to divide the Kashmiri community. We are investigating these incidents. We are sure of unmasking these terrorists…it will be done soon. This is being done at the behest of Pakistani handlers from across the border.”

BJP’s J&K spokesman Altaf Thakur condemned the incident and said killing unarmed teachers, who have nothing to do with politics, is nothing but purely an inhuman act and frustration. “Those who killed the two teachers have no religion. These teachers were teaching students, what was their fault?” Thakur said.

“This is a cowardly act and deserves the highest form of condemnation. Killing of unarmed civilians can never be justified as no religion allows to kill innocents.”

In a bloody Tuesday, a noted pharmacist was among three people killed by militants in Srinagar. Makhan Lal Bindroo, owner of Bindroo Medicate, was shot by unknown militants at his shop in Iqbal Park. “He received four bullets and was declared brought dead at SMHS hospital,” officials said. A famous chemist in the area, Bindroo had been operating his pharmacy in Srinagar for many decades and was also well known for his philanthropic works.

Within an hour of the shooting, suspected militants also shot dead a non-local person in the city’s Lalbazar area. Police said the roadside vendor was selling Bhelpuri on the road. He died on the spot and his body was retrieved by police. Militants also shot dead Mohammad Shafi Lone at Naidkhai in Bandipora district of north Kashmir. Last Saturday, two civilians were killed in a similar incident in Srinagar within one kilometre radius.

Terror group The Resistance Front (TRF), which claimed responsibility for the killing of Bindroo, had said on Wednesday that it would carry out more such attacks against those involved in the “anti-Kashmir” cause. In a statement, TRF claimed that Bindroo used to organise “seminars and secret meetings involving Kashmiris, especially youth, in the name of health activities”, India Today reported.

Activists of the Shiv Sena and the Dogra Front took out rallies in Jammu in protest against the killings. They raised anti-Pakistan slogans and burnt a flag of Pakistan. “The government must deal with terrorists, their supporters within Kashmir with an iron hand before dealing with Pakistan. Justice should be delivered,” Shiv Sena leader Ashok Gupta said. These terror attacks are aimed at derailing the plan of the government to resettle Kashmiri Pandits back in the Kashmir Valley, he said.

Activists of the Rashtriya Bajrang Dal and the KP Sabha also held protests.

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