Shujaat Bukhari: Not the first tryst with terror, was abducted in 2006

Senior journalist, Shujaat Bukhari was shot dead by terrorists on Thursday. The police confirmed that it was targeted fire as the terrorists shot at him directly. The nation and the Valley in particular is in a state of shock as this mindless killing came at a time when the Centre had declared a unilateral ceasefire due to the month of Ramazan.

This was not the first time that Bukhari, the editor in chief of Rising Kashmir was targeted by terrorists. In 2006, he was abducted by unidentified gunmen. He had however managed to escape.

Following the 2006 incident, he was provided security by the government. The police said that they are yet to unravel the motive behind the incident. He had cited no threat to his life and neither was any complaint made to this effect.

This is the first time after 2003 that a journalist in the Valley is being killed. In 2003 Parvaz Mohammad Sultan was shot dead by terrorists. On April 20 2004, a journalist turned activist, Asiya Jeelani was killed in a landmine explosion at Kupwara on the eve of the Lok Sabha elections.

Motive unknown:

The police say that they are not aware of the motive as yet. We are working on the CCTV grabs that we have got. The attackers had their faces covered and two images captured show them riding a motor-cycle. There were three attackers in all.

"In connection with today's terror attack at Srinagar, police requests general public to identify the suspects for the purpose of the police investigation," a statement read. The name of the person providing any clue or information regarding the suspects will be kept confidential, it said.

Shujaat Bukhari and his two personal security officers (PSOs) were shot dead by terrorists outside the newspaper's office in the heart of Jammu and Kashmir's summer capital, police officials said.

Fifty-three-year-old Bukhari, who had worked as the state correspondent for national daily 'The Hindu' for several years, was shot dead soon after he boarded his car from his office located at Press Enclave in the heart of the city centre -- Lal Chowk.