At least four people, including a baby, were injured after terrorists opened fire in Danger Pora village of Jammu and Kashmir’s Sopore district on Saturday, police said.
According to the Kashmir Zone Police, all the injured, including the child, were shifted to a hospital and are stated to be stable.
Police are on the spot of the attack and an investigation is underway.
According to an NDTV report, the terrorists barged into Hamidullah Rather’s house at Dangerpura in the north Kashmir district as they were upset that he ran his business despite warnings.
The residents were reportedly asked to shut their shops in protest against the Centre’s move to abrogate Article 370 that granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir.
Srinagar District Magistrate Shahid Choudhary said efforts are being made to arrange an air ambulance to shift the two-year-old girl to Delhi for advanced medical treatment.
Baby Asma of 30 months is among the injured in militant attack on fruits merchants in Sopore. She didn’t deserve this. We’ve put in all efforts to get an air ambulance ASAP to take her Delhi for advanced medical attention. Prayers are requested.
— Shahid Choudhary (@listenshahid) September 7, 2019
The Jammu and Kashmir Police has termed the attack as a “merciless act of terrorism”.
Merciless act of terrorism. https://t.co/Bv1ltTHawF
— J&K Police (@JmuKmrPolice) September 7, 2019
Post the revocation of Article 370, militants have been resorting to civilian killings and threats to instil fear among the people so that the return of normalcy is prevented in the valley.
Earlier, two nomadic goatherds (bakarwals) in Tral area and a shopkeeper in Srinagar city were killed by terrorists. Also, a truck driver was killed during stone-pelting instigated by militants in Bijbehara area.
As the situation gradually limps back to normal in the valley, posters by banned militant outfits like Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) have appeared at a number of places outside local mosques in North and South Kashmir districts threatening shopkeepers, transporters and others with dire consequences if they attempt to resume normal activities.
Meanwhile, Indian Army and intelligence sources, quoting the confessions of two Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists captured recently in Jammu and Kashmir, have said that around 300 trained militants are prepared to enter Indian territory from Pakistan.
Pakistan has also moved a brigade-sized force of around 2,000 soldiers to a location within 30 km of the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Indian Army sources said on Thursday.
The troops have been placed in the Bagh and Kotli sector in PoK.
The move by the Pakistan Army assumes significance in light of the fact that Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has threatened in the recent past of a war-like situation developing between the two countries after India withdrew special status for Jammu and Kashmir on August 5.
The Army is keeping a close tab on the troop movements in Pakistan and is exploring if it poses any immediate threat to India.
Pakistan has alleged human rights violations by Indian security forces in the valley and has also pledged to stand with the Kashmiris.
Jammu and Kashmir was put under virtual curfew since 5 August when the Modi government scrapped the Article 370 and split the state into two union territories.