A former BJP sarpanch was killed, and a tourist couple from Jaipur was injured in two separate terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian and Anantnag districts on Saturday.
In the first incident, terrorists opened fire at former BJP sarpanch Aijaz Sheikh in Shopian's Hirpora area around 10:30 pm. Sheikh succumbed to his injuries at a hospital, officials reported.
In the second incident, two tourists from Jaipur, identified as Farha and her husband Tabrez, were injured when terrorists fired at a tourist camp in Anantnag district. The couple was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. The Kashmir Zone Police tweeted, "Terrorists fired upon and injured a lady, Farha, a resident of Jaipur, and her spouse, Tabrez, at Yannar, Anantnag. The injured were evacuated to the hospital for treatment. The area was cordoned off."
Search operations have been launched in Anantnag and Shopian to apprehend the attackers, officials said. These attacks occurred amid campaigning for the parliamentary polls in the Anantnag-Rajouri seat, with Baramulla scheduled to vote on May 20 in the fifth round of polls.
Political parties in Jammu and Kashmir, including the National Conference, PDP, and BJP, condemned the attacks. Former Chief Minister and PDP President Mehbooba Mufti, contesting the Lok Sabha elections from the Anantnag-Rajouri seat, expressed concern over the timing of the attacks, especially given the delay in the south election. She tweeted, "While we condemn the attack in Pahalgam today that resulted in injuries to two tourists, followed by another attack on a (former) sarpanch in Hirpora, Shopian - the timing of these attacks, given that the south election was delayed without any reason, is a cause of concern. Especially keeping in mind normalcy claims touted by GOI (Government of India)."
National Conference President Farooq Abdullah and Vice President Omar Abdullah also condemned the terror attacks, stating that such acts of brutality impede long-term peace in J-K. They urged all communities to unite in these challenging times and support efforts towards lasting harmony, expressing their thoughts and prayers for the victims and their families.
The BJP released a statement condemning the killing of ex-sarpanch Aijaz Ahmad Sheikh in Hirpora, Shopian. "Aijaz Ahmad was a brave soldier of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Jammu and Kashmir. The BJP firmly stands with the family of Aijaz Ahmad, who lost his life in this terror attack," the statement said.
