Woman shot dead, another hurt in militant attack in Tral

Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, October 22

In a broad daylight shooting, a woman was killed and another injured in south Kashmir’s Tral subdistrict on Sunday.

The police accused militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad’s 3-foot-tall local militant commander Noor Mohammad Bhat for masterminding the attack on the two women.

“The initial investigation hints at Jaish commander Noor Mohammad Bhat masterminding the attack on the two women. We are trying to ascertain the reasons for the attack,” said Superintendent of Police, Awantipora, Mohammad Zahid.

The police said militants barged into the house of Mohammad Shafi Wagey in Seer Jagir, Tral, some 50 km from Srinagar, and fired at the women present there.

“Among them, 18-year old Yasmeena of Khonmoh was killed and Rubeena, wife of Mohammad Shafi Wagay, was injured. She was shifted to the sub-district hospital in Tral and later referred to Srinagar hospital for further treatment,” a police spokesman said.

Sources said an unidentified man entered the house and started talking to Rubeena, while her relative Yasmeena was sitting nearby.

“The militant who was not armed at that time asked Rubeena about some family business issues. The man left and in no time returned to tell Rubeena that someone wanted to talk to her on phone. When she refused, the militant opened indiscriminate firing, killing Yasmeena and wounding Rubeena,” a source said.

Immediately after the attack, a search operation was launched to nab the militants.

There has been no militant killing in the village in the recent past. However, a few days ago, forces had allegedly ransacked the house of local Hizbul Mujahideen commander in Seer Jagir. On October 18, a Special Police Officer was shot dead by a militant at his home in Gutroo, Tral.

Victim probably suspected to be informer, says DGP

“She (Rubeena) was probably threatened in the past also. She might have been targeted on the suspicion of being an informer. But she was not anyone’s source. The exact reason for the attack is not clear,” said DGP Shesh Paul Vaid

CRPF man injured in grenade attack

As tension gripped Tral over the killing of the woman, a CRPF officer was injured on Sunday afternoon when militants lobbed a grenade at the residence of National Conference leader Mohammad Ashraf in Tral town. “The CRPF ASI sustained a splinter injury on his left elbow. His condition is stable,” a CRPF spokesman said.