Director-General of Police (DGP), Kashmir, Dilbagh Singh on Wednesday hinted at the involvement of the Hizbul Mujahideen in the killing of five labourers from West Bengal in Kulgam of south Kashmir on Tuesday evening.
In a separate incident, one civilian was killed on the Line of Control (LoC) in north Kashmir.
Initial assessment
“The initial assessment suggests the Hizb outfit may be behind the killings,” Mr. Singh said.
A Srinagar-based police spokesman said the investigation was in progress, and the officers continued “to work to establish the full circumstances of this terror crime”.
The spokesman said the body of a militant, believed to be the one behind the Bijbehara attack on a truck driver on Monday, was identified as Aijaz Malik of the Hizbul Mujahideen on Wednesday.
“Malik was involved in the killing of truck driver Narayan Dutt in Bijbehara’s Kanilwan. The outfit is also suspected to be behind the killing of five labourers in Kulgam last night,” the spokesman said.
Condition stable
Six of the nine migrants residing in a rented accommodation in Kulgam were huddled by armed men on Tuesday evening and later shot dead around 200 metres away. Meanwhile, the condition of one of the injured labourers was declared stable by the doctors at a Srinagar hospital.
“No religion approves such dastardly acts. We demand a thorough investigation into the incident. We condemn attacks on truck drivers. These attacks are being carried out in a calculated manner to malign the just cause of Kashmir and its people,” a National Conference spokesman said.
Meanwhile, one civilian, identified as Muhammad Yousuf Khan, 65, was killed and six others injured as Pakistan resorted to ceasefire violations in north Kashmir's Kupwara.
The incident took place in the morning in Kupwara’s Macchil.
