Mufti condemns killing of 3 civilians in Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today strongly condemned the killing of three civilians in the past 24 hours in various parts of the Valley.

In a statement, she reiterated that nobody's interests were served by the killing of civilians, but the state was plunged into uncertainty and chaos.

She said the need of the hour was to get Jammu and Kashmir out of the vortex of violence for which all shades of opinion had to rise to the occasion.

Two civilians were killed in Hajin and one in Sopore by unknown gunmen during the past 24 hours.

Militants barged into the houses of Ghulam Hassan Dar alias Hassan Rassa and Bashir Ahmad Dar, both residents of Gulshan Mohalla, Shahgund Hajin in Bandipora district, last night and abducted them, a police official said.

"At about 3:30 am today, the militants shot both of them dead," he said.

Last night, militants fired upon Mohammad Ashraf Mir at Harwan in Bomai area of Sopore township of the north Kashmir district, another police official said.

He said his wife was critically injured in the firing.

The chief minister conveyed her sympathies to the bereaved families and prayed for peace for the departed souls.

Taking strong note of the death of a youth at Noorbagh, Srinagar by a police vehicle today, Mufti directed the police to take legal cognisance of the incident, saying those found involved should be punished.