In yet another attack on a politician in Jammu and Kashmir, BJP leader and sarpanch Sajad Ahmad was shot dead by terrorists Thursday morning.
According to media reports, terrorists fired upon Ahmad outside his residence in Kulgam’s Qazigund area critically injuring him. He was immediately shifted to a hospital where “he was declared brought dead”
Sajad Ahmad was BJP’s district vice president for Kulgam.
No terror group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.
According to a report in Times Now, the deceased sarpanch was staying in a migrant camp with several other sarpanches. However, he decided to visit his home and left for Vessu. He was fired upon when he was just 20 metres away from his residence.
Meanwhile, today’s terrorist attack comes a day after the first anniversary of abrogation of Article 370, that granted special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.
The latest incident comes two days after a panchayat member, reportedly associated with the BJP, in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam district, was shot and critically injured by terrorists on Tuesday evening. Identified as Arif Ahmad from Akhran Mir Bazar in Kulgam, he was rushed to the hospital and a manhunt was launched by the police to nab the attackers. His health condition is stated to be stable.
There has been a series of terror attacks on political workers and panchayat members in Kashmir in the recent past.
On July 8, a BJP leader and an ex-district president of the party for North Kashmir’s Bandipore was killed along with his family members by terrorists.
Sheikh Wasim Bari was at his shop with his father and brother when some unidentified terrorists struck and shot at them injuring them critically. All three succumbed to the injuries. His father and brother were also members of the BJP.
A new terror group calling itself The Resistance Front had claimed responsibility for the attack. The police said that it is a front of Pakistan-based terror outfits Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen.
Following the attack, 10 policemen tasked with the BJP leader’s security were arrested.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also enquired about the gruesome killing of Wasim Bari over telephone and offered condolences to the family of the deceased.
Several other BJP leaders also offerered their condolences.