Sarpanch, Officer Killed In Anantnag Militant Strike

Militants attacked the Union Territory administration’s first public outreach program after the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and killed a sarpanch and a government officer in Anantnag. In another grenade attack, four civilians were injured in Srinagar, while a shrine was damaged at Tral in Pulwama district.

A police officer said militants threw a grenade and opened fire around 3.30 p.m. at a group of local officials and grassroots representatives at Hakoora village in Anantnag when they were clicking pictures of the local initiatives, as per the requirement of the ‘Back to the village’ program. “Four persons were injured in the attack in Anantnag. Two persons, identified as sarpanch Peer Muhammad Rafi and Assistant Agriculture Officer Sheikh Zahoor, died in the hospital,” said the police officer. Mr. Rafi was affiliated with the Congress.