Foreign
UNIDENTIFIED gunmen believed to be militants shot dead a local level leader of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Indian-controlled Kashmir, police said on Thursday.
The slain leader identified as Rakesh Pandita was attacked on Wednesday evening at a friend’s house in the Tral area of Pulwama district, about 44 km south of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.
A woman was also wounded in the attack.
Pandita was also a municipal councilor of the town.
Reports said that militants barged into the house and fired upon Pandita, killing him on the spot and wounding a woman who was present there.
The woman has been moved to a hospital in Srinagar.
Following the attack, contingents of police and paramilitary were rushed to the spot to carry out searches for the assailants, who, however, had managed to escape immediately after the attack.
The killing was condemned by the region’s pro-India political parties.
Pandita had been elected to the municipal council in Tral unopposed in 2018 after the local polls were boycotted by the key regional parties.
Militants in the region usually target families and individuals for their possible links with police and defense agencies.
People having associations with pro-India political parties and police are targeted at times. (Xinhua/NAN)
– June 03, 2021 @ 08:55 GMT
Tags: Gunmen kill Bharatiya Janata Party leader in Indian-controlled Kashmir
