Militants kill 3 civilians in South Kashmir


Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Aug 22: After a long lull, militants tonight struck in the calm Noorabad constituency of the NC leader, Sakeena Itoo, and Pulwama, killing 3 persons in firing.

Official sources said that in Nandimarg area Noorabad constituency, militants barged into the house of a Gujjar, Mohammad Hussain Gorsi, and killed his wife Shakeela,40, and daughter Zareena, 19. Nandimarg had witnessed the first and the last massacre of Kashmiri Pandits during Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s tenure as Chief Minister when as many as 24 male members of the minority community were gunned down in early 2003. Congress President Sonia Gandhi and then BJP-led NDA government’s Home Minister, L K Advani, were among the senior Central leaders who had visited Nandimarg, in addition to Mufti, Omar Abdullah and others.

Officials believed the massacre as handiwork of then top Lashkar-e-Toiba commander, Abu Maaz, and his group.

However, Noorabad area of Kulgam district, situated in foothills of Pir Panjal mountain range, has been normal to a great extent. No incident of stone pelting or street demonstrations has been reported from Noorabad till date.

In another incident in Chakoora village in Pulwama district, militants killed Ghulam Nabi Wani son in law of Gh Mohammad Bhat.Wani was an employee of social welfare department.

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