Militants open fire at two UP natives in Budgam; 5th since government formation
Cutting across political divide, parties condemn attack, unanimously term it cowardly and senseless violence
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SRINAGAR: Two persons from Uttar Pradesh were shot at by militants in Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam district on Friday evening, officials said. They were taken to a hospital and were stated to be in stable condition, the officials added.
Sufiyan and Usman were injured after being shot at in the Mazhama area of Magam in the central Kashmir district, they said.
Political parties in the Valley condemned the attack, with Srinagar Lok Sabha MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi of the National Conference (NC) raising questions about the “sudden rise in these attacks” after the elections.
"The BJP regime which is directly in control of the security in Jammu and Kashmir should be held accountable for these repeated failures. Also want to ask why this sudden rise in these attacks immediately after the recent elections," he said.
Congress unit chief Tariq Hameed Karra condemned the attack, and urged the government to take effective measures to contain "such inhuman, shameful and cowardly acts".
Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari described the attack as the worst form of cowardice. "Terrorists have once again attacked non-local labourers, this time in Mazahama. This is the worst form of cowardice on the part of the perpetrators. The security agencies must ensure that the perpetrators are caught and brought to justice," he said.
The Peoples' Conference led by Sajad Lone said it was a cowardly attack and senseless violence.
This is the fifth attack by terrorists in the Kashmir Valley since the formation of an elected government headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
On October 24, two soldiers and two Army porters were killed while another porter and a soldier were injured in a militant attack on an Army vehicle six kilometres from the tourist hotspot Gulmarg.
Earlier that day, terrorists shot at and injured Shubam Kumar, a labourer from Uttar Pradesh, in the Tral area of Pulwama district.
On October 20, a local doctor and six non-local labourers were gunned down by terrorists at a tunnel construction site in the Gagangir area of Ganderbal. A labourer from Bihar was shot dead by terrorists in Shopian district on October 18.
(With PTI inputs)