Civilian shot dead by militants in Kupwara

SRINAGAR — A civilian was shot dead by unknown gunmen in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.

They said gunmen, suspected to be militants, fired at Ghulam Rasool Magray, 45, inside his residence at Kandi Khas late on Saturday, wounding him critically.

“Magray was immediately rushed to a medical facility, from where he was shifted to a hospital in Srinagar, where he succumbed to his injuries,” officials said, adding a postmortem examination was subsequently conducted.

Following the attack, joint security forces launched a massive manhunt to trace the attackers.

J&K Police has registered a case and started the investigation of the case.

While the motive behind the killing remains unclear, security sources said that Magray’s brother, Ghulam Mohideen Magray, is based in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) after having crossed the Line of Control. Mohideen is believed to be an active operative of the Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group.

The killing of a civilian in Kupwara comes at a time when security forces have intensified operations against militants and their sympathisers in Kashmir in the wake of the Pahalgam attack earlier this week.

In the ongoing crackdown, the homes of at least nine militants have been “demolished using explosives”, and hundreds of suspects have been detained for questioning.

Since Saturday evening, three more houses belonging to militants have been destroyed using explosives.

The houses blasted included that of Adnan Shafi Dar in Zainpora Shopian, Jameel Ahmed Shergojri in Bandipora, and Amir Nazir Wani in Tral, Pulwama.

Meanwhile, two “hardcore” Over Ground Workers (OGWs) were detained under the Public Safety Act (PSA) in Budgam district of central Kashmir.

The PSA allows detention without charge or trial for a maximum of one or two years.

Police said in a decisive move against militancy and acting tough against anti-national elements (ANEs), District Police Budgam detained two “hardcore” OGWs, Tahir Ahmad Kumar of Pakherpora and Shabir Ahmad Ganai of Karpora Pakherpora, under PSA.

“The arrests followed sustained efforts and actionable intelligence indicating the involvement of the duo in providing active support to terrorist outfits operating in the region,” police said.

“The detained individuals were instrumental in facilitating terrorist activities, including movement, shelter, logistical support, and their continued engagement in anti-national activities, and their role in motivating local youth to join banned terrorist organisations. The imposition of the PSA was deemed necessary, and their detention marks a significant step towards dismantling terrorist support networks in the district,” a police statement said.