Under pressure from forces, militants target J&K Civilians

Inorder to inspire fear among the people of Jammu and Kashmir, the militants have resorted to old tricks of soft target killings.

So far in Jammu and Kashmir over two dozen civilians have been killed by the ultras this year.

At times feeble condemnation from separatists has been evoked by the killings and they have gone unnoticed most of the times.

 28 year old labourer Muhammad Ashraf Dar, for instance , was killed by suspected militants in Sopore and his bullet ridden body was recovered in the next morning. Just one week ago Dar had been engaged and had been preparing for his marriage.

As per the information provided by a local resident, he was at home last night and spoke to someone on phone. Later he went out and his family heard some gun shots, but no one came out. And on the next day of the same, his body was found.

Over two dozen civilians have been killed by the militants this year in the state according to the officials. And the police information clearly states that atleast 19 civilians have been killed by the militants so far in the valley alone this year.

Followed by Srinagar and Kupwara with four killings each, Sopore tops the list with five killings. J & K chief Minister Omar Abdulla's assembly constituency of Ganderbal has witnessed two civilian killings so far this year.

Baramulla, Shopian, Avantipora and Budgam have so far witnessed one killing each.

Abdulla said that they are comfortably placed in terms of militancy on all parameters except for civilian deaths. The number was 22 last year and this year it is 23. There is a marked decline in all the parameters and there is no room for complacency.

The Police reported that given the huge setback suffered by the ultras at the hands of security forces, they are resorting to the dirty tricks to stay in the game. According to them there seems to be no logic to these killings by militants which have happened in a series. And also after their leadership has been eliminated, they are actually under a tremendous pressure.

The security forces have achieved major success in the war against terror for the last two months.

More than seven top commanders of Lashkar-e-Taiba  (LeT) and Jaish -e-Mohammed have been killed by the security forces in North Kashmir last month.   

News Report By, SM