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SRINAGAR: Unidentified gunmen shot dead a BSF jawan while his family was fired upon indiscriminately when they resisted attempts to abduct him in North Kashmir's Bandipora district last night.
Ramzan Parray, a constable-ranked official in BSF, who was home on vacations, was shot fatally outside his home in Hajin locality of north Kashmir, J&K Police DGP, SP Vaid, said, adding that three members of the family were also injured in the firing.
“Three to four militants barged into the house and asked Parray to come along with them. When the family resisted, the militants fired indiscriminately. He was shot multiple times in the head and chest. The injured are hospitalized and out of danger,” a senior police officer said.
The BSF issued an official statement on Twitter, condemning the killing. “Constable Rameez Parrey, a BSF personnel who was on leave, was killed by terrorists in a cowardly manner today,” the force said.
No militant group has claimed responsibility for the attack on the family, although reports quoting unknown police officers put the blame on Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit. The BSF jawan was unarmed at the time of the incident, the officer said.
The killing comes more than four months after a young army officer from South Kashmir's Kulgam district, Lieutenant Umer Fayaz, was abducted and later shot dead by unidentified gunmen, evoking widespread condemnation across the state.
Like Parray, Lt Umer, who was posted with 2 Rajputana Rifles, was on his first leave after joining the Army to attend a cousin's wedding when he was picked up from his house at Harmein in Kulgam. The body of the officer was later found three kilometres from his house.
The fresh killing has broken a brief spell of calm in insurgency related violence against security forces in the Valley where a semblance of normalcy has returned after security forces launched a crackdown against militants and their sympathizers.
After the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani, local police personnel or their families were intimidated and in some cases attacked by suspected militants, prompting the force to issue an advisory warning its men against going on vacations.
Nitish Kumar, the DIG north Kashmir, tweeted that four of Parrey's family members were also "critically injured". Former chief minister Omar Abdullah also condemned the attack on Twitter.
“What a terrible incident. This is abominable. Heartfelt condolences to the family of Rameez Parrey. Hope the injured recover soon,” Abdullah tweeted
