A burqa clad Lashkar-e-Tayyeba (LeT) terrorist along with three other gun toting associates on Thursday targeted the house of a local BJP leader in Nowgam area of Srinagar in which one of the security guards deployed on guard duty attained martyrdom while all the family members including minor son of the BJP leader escaped unhurt.
The BJP leader identified as Mohd Anwar Khan was not present inside the house at the time of the attack. The security guard martyred in the attack has been identified as Constable Rameez Ahmad Itoo of Anantnag.
Inspector General of Police Kashmir range Vijay Kumar Thursday said, "four Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorists including two from Srinagar carried out the attack on the guard post of the house of senior BJP leader in Nowgam area". The IGP said two of the four terrorists involved in the act have been identified as Shahid Khursheed and Obaid Shafi. “Both belong to Lashkar-e-Toiba. The identity of two others is being ascertained who are also believed to be from Lashkar,” he said
"This is the second terrorist attack on me, Anwar Khan told reporters in Jammu". He said as BJP is gaining popularity in different parts of Kashmir attempts are being made to create a sense of insecurity among the party leaders".
Last year, over half a dozen BJP leaders, sarpanches, corporators were targeted by the terrorists to discourage them from participating in the grassroots politics aimed at strengthening all three tiers of Panchayati Raj Institutions.
Anwar Khan told reporters, "he left his home early in the morning as he was scheduled to travel to Jammu. Anwar Khan said, "I have seen the CCTV footage and it is clearly visible when the terrorists, one of them clad in a burqa, knocked at the main door and the security guard opened the door. While he was seen opening the door two other terrorists opened indiscriminate firing and his service weapon was taken away by another member of the group before escaping. Anwar Khan said, his minor son was also present near the front gate of his house when terrorists targeted the security personnel.With the grace of God almighty he escaped unhurt, he added.
In Jammu, Lt-Governor Manoj Sinha strongly condemned the terror attack on a BJP leader's house in Nowgam, Srinagar. In a condolence message Lt- Gov Manoj Sinha said, "We lost our brave jawan of J&K Police. My prayers for the departed soul and sympathies with his family. Such cowardly acts are against humanity & perpetrators shall be brought to justice".
Condemning the attack, several senior BJP leaders said that the killers of humanity cannot be heroes for anyone.
National General Secretary, BJP & Prabhari J&K, Tarun Chugh expressed anguish over this highly deplorable incident and stressed that exemplary punishment will be ensured to killers. He said that these Repeated terror attacks cannot weaken democracy in the region.
J&K BJP President, Ravinder Raina strongly condemned the attack and said that the whole humanity is feeling shocked and ashamed of these repeated attacks. He said that being soldiers of democracy the social and political activists work tirelessly in strengthening the democracy, but terrorists, their bosses and their sympathizers absolutely do not want people to prosper.