In the seventh targeted killing of members belonging to minority communities by terrorists in Kashmir in a month, a female teacher from Samba of Jammu was, on Tuesday morning, gunned down in the high school at Gopalpura in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district.

The deceased has been identified as Rajni Bala whose husband Raj Kumar is also a teacher in Kashmir. Their daughter, who is studying in the Valley, reached the hospital in a state of shock and disbelief.

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Angry relatives of the victim came out raising slogans against the government for failing to prevent the lives of the innocent in the Valley. They blocked the Jammu-Pathankot highway at Samba for some time.

Reports said that 36-years-old Rajni Bala was shot dead by the terrorists soon after she reached the school in the morning. Her killing has been widely condemned. Police said the badly injured teacher was rushed to the hospital where doctors declared her dead on arrival. The police have assured that the terrorists involved in the gruesome crime will soon be identified and neutralised.

The area was cordoned off by security forces and a search operation was launched for the terrorists involved in the killing.

Rajni Bala’s brother-in-law Vijay Kumar told reporters at Samba that she was posted in Kashmir in 2009. He criticised the government for failing to prevent the killing of Hindus in Kashmir.

In earlier targeted killings, an employee from Jammu in a liquor shop at Baramulla was killed in a grenade attack by terrorists, a  Kashmiri Pandit employee Rahul Bhat and three policemen were shot by terrorists.

Reacting to the killing, Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha tweeted, “Terrorist attack on a school teacher, Rajni Bala is the most reprehensible act. My deepest condolences to the bereaved family. Terrorists and their sympathizers will be given unforgettable response for dastardly attack.”

Expressing grief over the incident, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah wrote, “This is yet another targeted killing in a long list of recent attacks directed at unarmed civilians. Words of condemnation & condolence ring hollow as do the assurances of the government that they will not rest till situation normalises.”

Targeting the BJP government over the killing,  PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti tweeted; “Despite GOIs fake claims about Kashmir being normal its obvious that targeted civilian killings are on the rise & a deep cause of concern. Condemn this act of cowardice which sadly plays into the vicious anti muslim narrative spun by BJP.”

J&K Apni Party leader Altaf Bukhari tweeted, “It is painful to witness targeted killings of civilians in Kashmir. These dastardly acts of violence have devastated families.”

Congress and AAP have also criticised the killing of the teacher.