Bihar-based 'Gol Gappa' seller, UP's carpenter shot dead in Srinagar

Srinagar, Oct 16: Two non-local residents were shot dead on Saturday in Srinagar and Pulwama districts.

The victims have been identified as Arbind Kumar Sah from Bihar and Sagir Ahmad from Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh who were assassinated by terrorists in separate incidents.

Giving details about one of the two incidents, IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar said that the non-local vendor was killed by terrorists in Eidgah area of Srinagar. The deceased, Arbind Kumar Sah, was a 'gol gappa' seller from Bihar's Banka.

"#NonLocal labourer Shri Sagir Ahmad of Saharanpur, UP who was #critically injured in a #terror attack in Pulwama, also #succumbed to his injuries. Search operations are in progress. Further details shall follow. @JmuKmrPolice, [sic]" Kashmir Zone Police confirmed the death of the Uttar Pradesh man.

The 30-year-old Sah was rushed to Srinagar's SMHS hospital where he was declared brought dead.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah condemned the incident. "Strongly condemn the killing of street vendor Arbind Kumar in a terror attack in Srinagar today. This is yet another case of a civilian being targeted like this. All Arbind Kumar did was come to Srinagar in search of earning opportunities and it's reprehensible that he was murdered," he tweeted.

He mourned the death of the UP man in another tweet, "Strongly condemn the killing of Sageer Ahmed in Pulwama today. Another man who came to the valley in search of an income, in this case as a carpenter. His death in the 2nd terror attack today is a grim reminder of the precarious security situation in Kashmir these days. [sic]"

Jammu and Kashmir People's Conference leader Sajad Lone tweeted, "This is pure terror. Yet again a non-local vendor shot and killed in Idgah. What a shame. How cowardly can it get."

In the last two weeks, a total of nine civilians, including two teachers and a prominent Kashmiri pandit, have been killed in the valley and five out of eight were Hindus which clearly indicates that the terrorists are targeting Hindus and outsiders.