In a series of attacks 'unidentified' terrorists shot dead three persons, including a renowned medical store owner Makhan Lal Bindroo near Iqbal Park area of Srinagar on Tuesday evening.
According to police the first attack took place around 7.20 p.m, second after a gap of 30 minutes in which a non-local vendor was also shot dead near Madina Chowk, Lal Bazar area of Srinagar. The third incident was reported from Shahgund area of Bandipora where a civilian was shot dead from a close range.
According to the twitter handle of the Jammu and Kashmir police, "Terrorists fired upon Owner of Bindroo Medicate namely Makhan Lal Bindroo near Iqbal Park Srinagar. He was shifted to hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. Area cordoned off & search to nab the terrorists is going on".
In another tweet Kashmir Zone Police said, "Terrorists killed one non-local near Madina Chowk Lalbazar Srinagar. The deceased person has been identified as Virender Paswan resident of Bhagalpur Bihar, a street hawker, presently residing at Alamgari Bazar Zadibal. Search in the area is in progress".
Meanwhile, a civilian killed in Bandipora has been identified as Mohd Shafi Lone resident of Naidkhai.
These three back to back attacks came close on the heels of targeted killing of several policemen and leaders belonging to the minority community and political leaders.
According to reports, Makhan Lal Bindroo had not migrated from Srinagar even during peak militancy and stayed back.
Aakash Mehra, son of a famous Krishna dhaba owner,was shot at by a motorcycle borne terrorists in Sonwar area of Srinagar on Feb 17, 2021. He succumbed to his fatal injuries, 11 days later in the SMHS hospital in Srinagar.
Before him, a famous jeweller Satpal Nischal from Punjab settled in Srinagar for several years was killed from a close range in the first week of January 2021.
LG Manoj Sinha condemned the attacks. ‘’Deeply anguished to hear about the terror attack on Shri Makhan Lal Bindroo, owner of Bindroo Medicate. I strongly condemn this cowardly act. My deepest condolences to the bereaved family. Perpetrators of this heinous act will be brought to justice very soon.’’
‘’I strongly condemn the killing of civilians Shri Virender Paswan and Shri Mohd Shafi Lone by terrorists. The barbaric act of killing innocent people is against humanity’’, he tweeted.
Condemning the attack, former Chief Minister and National Conference Vice President OmarAbdullah tweeted, "What terrible news! He was a very kind man. I’ve been told he never left during the height of militancy and remained with his shop open. I condemn this killing in the strongest possible terms & convey my heartfelt condolences to his family".
PDP Chief and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti also condemned the targeted killing of a Kashmiri pandit. "Condemn the killing of M L Bindroo who chose to stay back in Kashmir even during peak insurgency. Such acts of violence have no place in our society. May his family find the strength to deal with this loss",tweeted PDP Chief.
On September 18, a Kashmiri pandit cop was shot dead while he was returning home in civies after winding up day's work in Kulgam.
On September 12, a newly recruited Sub-Inspector Arshad Ashraf Meer was 'mercilessly' shot dead in Khanyar area of Srinagar.
Two policemen were shot dead from a close range by a terrorist in Barzulla area of Srinagar while they were waiting for their tea cups in February 2021
Then in the month of June, Inspector Parvaiz Ahmad Dar, working with the criminal investigation department (CID) wing was shot near his house in Nowgam when he was returning home after offering evening prayers.
In August, terrorists had targeted public representatives across different parts of Kashmir valley.
On August 17, armed terrorists gunned down constituency President Homishalibugh, Javed Ahmad Dar in South Kashmir's Kulgam district .
Another BJP Sarpanch Ghulam Rasool Dar along with his wife was 'mercilessly' killed by the terrorists inside their home in Lal Chowk area of Anantnag on August 9. Three days later, a three year old nephew of a BJP leader Jasbir Singh (Mandal President) in Rajouri was killed in a grenade attack on his house in Rajouri.
On June 2, 2021 a Bharatiya Janta Party Councillor Rakesh Pandita was shot dead in Tral in the South Kashmir district of Pulwama.
Over half a dozen BJP leaders and their close family members were also killed by the terrorists last year.