Unknown gunmen, suspected to be militants abducted and shot dead a man and his nephew early Saturday in Shahgund area of Hajin in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district, family members said.
Gunmen also shot at and injured a special police officer (SPO) of Jammu and Kashmir police in southern Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
The gunmen, wearing veils and speaking Urdu appeared at the home of Bashir Ahmed Rasa, 26 in the dark of the night and asked for water before taking him and his 45-year-old uncle, Ghulam Hassan (from a nearby house) along on the pretext of talking to them.
The terrified family, barely able to resist the abduction waited for the duo to return.
But around three in the morning, sound of gunshots rattled the nearby Rahim Mohalla, waking up its sleepy residents. A few of them said they also heard some sloganeering at the same time.
Bullet riddled bodies of the two men were found later after day break, their mobile phones missing, said Raheem Rasa, brother of slain Ghulam Hassan.
Ghulam Hassan was a commercial driver by profession. Some residents said he was affiliated with Al-Barq and HizbulMujahideen militant groups during early 1990s and for some time was also a member of Hurriyat Conference (G).
He has no children and lived with his widowed mother.
Hassan’s nephew Bashir Ahmed was a carpenter and had no links with any militant or political group, family members told Greater Kashmir.
Ahmed’s father, Abdul Rehman said the unmarried youth was the only earning hand in his family which includes two young sisters and a disabled brother.
Witnesses said hundreds attended funeral prayers for the slain duo who were buried in a graveyard at ShedporaShahgund.
Meawhile Gunmen shot at and injured a special police officer (SPO) Showkat Ahmad Dar, son of Mohammad Ahsan Dar, near Petrol pump at Rahmoo village at around 9:35 am in Pulwama district.
He was rushed to district hospital Pulwama and later refered to Srinagar hospital.
His condition, according to police is stated to be critical.
Soon after the incident, a joint team of forces launched a hunt to nab the assailants, they said.