Srinagar: The killing of two non-local labourers by militants in Kashmir's Shopian district is being widely condemned by political parties in the valley, even as police said that terrorists involved in the attack have been arrested. The Jammu and Kashmir police said that two labourers from UP's Kannauj -- Manish Kumar and Ram Sagar -- were killed on Monday night in a grenade attack in their tin shed in Harmen, Shopian.
Reacting to the incident, Jammu and Kashmir UT LG Manoj Sinha said that the administration has intensified efforts to crush terrorists and the terror ecosystems and has given full freedom to the security forces. "Terrorism is a curse for the civilised society. People from every community must come together to condemn heinous acts and root out terror and its elements," Sinha tweeted.
National Conference said that the party unreservedly condemn the cowardly and dastardly attack in Harmen, Shopian in which two labourers from UP - Monish Kumar and Ram Sagar lost their lives.
PDP president and former JK chief minister Mehbooba Mufti also reacted to the incident, saying it is distressing to know that two labourers were killed in an attack. "At the risk of sounding repetitive, there is no sense of security and dignity for anyone living in J&K. These issues will be resolved only when GOI acknowledges that they exist," she tweeted.
Also read: 2 UP labourers killed by militants in J&K, LeT 'hybrid' terrorist held
Communist leader M Y Tarigami said that the killing of the labourers is a shocking criminal act. "Two poor labourers who had come to earn their livelihood lost their lives to a despicable attack. Each one of us must raise our voice to condemn such barbaric acts of violence," he said. Former minister and Peoples Conference president Sajad Lone also took to Twitter it the journey of these two labourers to earn a livelihood ends in a blood bath at the hands of goons. "These goons will rot in hell," he tweeted.
Shia Federation president Ashiq Hussain addressed a press conference in Jammu and condemned the targeted attacks on members of the minority communities and nonlocals in the Valley. Shia Federation president denounced the killing of minorities and nonlocals saying that plurality is a basic and fundamental fact of Kashmiri society and everyone has to understand this pluralistic nature.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir police said that it has arrested two hybrid militants involved in the attack. Additional Director General of Police Vijay Kumar told reporters in Shopian that the main attacker was arrested during the night and later his associate has also been arrested within hours of the incident.
“The attacker was working for Lashker Commanders Danish and Abid,” he said
Kumar added that the non-locals remain a soft target as they don't have security. “We will give a befitting reply. Hardcore terrorists behind the attack will be neutralized soon,” he said. “We have carried raids at hideouts disclosed by the arrested hybrid terrorist and further investigation is going on.”
The killing of the two labourers follows a day after a Kashmiri Hindu Puran Krishan Bhatt was killed by unidentified militants in Chowdrygund village of the same district, which evoked condemnation and protests by activists in many districts of the Valley.
