A day ahead of Home Minister Amit Shah taking stock of targeted killings and situation in Kashmir, a bank manager Vijay Kumar from Rajasthan was on Thursday morning shot dead by terrorists in south Kashmir’s Kulgam.

In another incident, three soldiers were injured, one of them critically, due to a blast in a vehicle in which they were proceeding towards a place in Shopian where terrorists were reportedly hiding. The vehicle was badly damaged in the explosion.

Bank manager Vijay Kumar was shot in broad daylight inside the Ellaqai Dehati Bank at Areh Mohanpora in Kulgam district while he was performing his duty.
He was rushed to the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, said the police.

He received grievous gunshot injuries in this terror incident. He is a resident of Hanumangarh Rajasthan, police added.

The area was cordoned by security forces and search launched by the terrorists.

A CCTV footage was being circulated on the social media in which a terrorist can be seen entering the bank and taking out a pistol from his bag and firing at Vijay Kumar.

Reports said that the 21 years old Vijay Kumar got married a few days ago and joined his duty recently.

His killing has come just few hours after terrorists last night shot and injured a civilian Farooq Ahmad Sheikh in Chidren, Keegam area of Shopian. He got injury in leg and has been shifted to hospital. His condition is stated to be stable, said the police.

Giving details of injury to three soldiers, a defence spokesman said; “At approximately 0300 AM, based on specific intelligence, an operation was launched from Sedhau COB to lay cordon and search in general area Patitohalan. While moving to the target area, at approximately a km from Sedhau, an explosion took place in the civil hired vehicle, being used by the team, resulting in injuries to three Indian Army soldiers. The blast is very likely to be from either an IED or a grenade or a battery malfunctioning in the vehicle. Details are being ascertained.

The injured personnel were immediately shifted and given first aid at District Hospital, Shopian and thereafter evacuated to 92 Base Hospital, Srinagar. One soldier is critical while two other injured are stable.

Affected area has been cordoned and all likely escape routes have been sealed. Search to nab the terrorists is in progress”.

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah and PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti have condemned killing of the young bank manager.

Omar said; “Tweeting to condemn an attack & condole a death are becoming a mind-numbingly regular thing. It’s heartbreaking to see families destroyed like this”.

Altaf Bukhari, President of J&K Apni Party, said; “Indeed a very sad situation where innocent civilians are being targeted”.