Mufti orders probe into killings in Sopore

Mufti Sayeed has issued directions to the Home Department for stepping up investigations and providing secure environment to all civilians, an official handout said on Monday.

“The matter (killing of civilians) is also scheduled to be discussed in the meeting of the Unified Headquarters, which has been convened on June 17 later this week,” the handout said.

An official spokesman confirmed that the police has taken all  possible steps to fast-track investigation into all the relevant aspects of the incidents and has set up special monitoring mechanism to keep track of proper investigation.

The spokesman further stated that the government is making all out efforts to ensure the safety and security of the innocent civilians.

Meanwhile, a former militant, Aijaz Ahmad Reshi was shot dead in Mandji area of the town at around 8:30 am .

This is the second killing in two consecutive days and overall fifth killing in the area in past three weeks.

Nobody has claimed the responsibility of the attack so far.

Earlier, a shopkeeper Khurshid Ahmad was killed at his shop in Bomai area of Sopore while a Tehreek-e-Hurriyat activist Sheikh Altaf-ur-Rehman was shot dead on June 9.

In the first attack, the BSNL employee was killed and two more were injured when unidentified gunmen struck a showroom in Sopore. Another person hosting a mobile tower atop his house was killed a day later.

Monday’s killing took the death toll in Sopore to six since a BSNL employee was shot dead on May 25.

Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman Syed Ali Geelani has blamed “Indian agencies” for carrying out killings and attacks in Sopore.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, chairman of Hurriyat (M), besides former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah have blamed the Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar's statement in which he justified the use of 'Ikhwanis' to fight militancy in the region.

(Reporting by Saleem Iqbal Qadri)