SRINAGAR: A tourist taxi driver from New Delhi was shot and
wounded
by terrorists in J&K’s
Shopian district
Monday evening, marking the latest attack on non-Kashmiri workers in the Union territory amidst heavy security presence for the first phase of voting in the Lok Sabha elections on April 19.
Paramjit Singh suffered two gunshot wounds in his left arm during the attack in Padpawan village along Mughal Road that connects Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch districts of Jammu.
His condition is reported to be stable. Reports say two foreign tourists in the taxi returning from Peer Ki Gali in south Kashmir’s Shopian escaped unhurt.
“The driver was immediately shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment,” said a police officer, adding that the area has been cordoned off and efforts are underway to capture the shooters.
The motive behind the attack remains unclear, prompting authorities to launch an investigation to determine if it was a targeted assault on non-Kashmiri workers. This follows a similar pattern of violence, reminiscent of this year’s first targeted killing of two young men from Punjab, Amritpal Singh and Rohit Masih, in Srinagar on Feb 7.
Monday’s shooting has reignited concerns about the resurgence of targeted attacks on non-natives in Kashmir valley after a relatively quiet 2023. Throughout last year, militants primarily targeted off-duty police officers, with exceptions such as the fatal shooting of a migrant labourer from UP in south Kashmir’s Pulwama on Oct 30, and the wounding of five non-Kashmiri labourers in separate attacks in Anantnag and Shopian districts in July.
In 2022, a total of 29 targeted killings were reported in J&K, with five being Kashmiri Pandits.
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