A man who worked as a gardener with the Indian Army was on Wednesday shot dead by terrorists in Pinglina village of Pulwama in South Kashmir. The gardener identified as Ashiq Ahmad was fired upon by unidentified terrorists and he died on the spot.
Pinglina came in news recently when top commanders of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) involved in the Pulwama terror attack were eliminated in an encounter with security forces. The security forces were hunting for the terrorists who were involved in the suicide attack on a CRPF convoy that claimed lives of more than 40 troopers.
Having suffered severe a setback due to the killing of top commanders, terrorists suspecting involvement of locals in informing the security forces about the presence of these militants were probably trying to create fear among the people by killing the former Army employee, said a police officer.
The gardener had reportedly left the Army job a few months ago.
Meanwhile, police and security forces in Kulgam district recovered a cache of arms and ammunition from a terrorist hideout. On a credible input, a joint party of police and security forces busted a hideout in a residential house in Yaripora area of Kulgam district and recovered arms and ammunition including grenades and live rounds.
One person, Mohammad Ayoub Rather, of Yaripora was arrested in this connection, said the police.rorists