India condemns targeted killing of civilians in Jammu and Kashmir

India has for long blamed Pakistan for supporting, training and arming terrorists operating in Jammu and Kashmir, a charge denied by Islamabad.

India on Thursday strongly condemned the “targeted killing” of civilians in Jammu and Kashmir, saying the attacks reflected its concerns about cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan.

Security personnel cordoning off the government school where two teachers were allegedly killed by militants at Eidgah in Srinagar on Thursday. (ANI PHOTO.)

“We strongly condemn the targeted killing of civilians. We are concerned about cross-border terrorism from Pakistan,” said external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.

“We discuss cross-border terrorism at meetings with our partners and what steps the international community should take,” he said at a regular media briefing.

The principal and a teacher of a government school in Eidgah area of Srinagar were gunned down by unidentified armed men on Thursday, taking the toll from targeted attacks on civilians in Kashmir since Tuesday to five.

On Tuesday, Makhan Lal Bindroo, a well-known pharmacy owner, was killed in Srinagar by terrorists.

India has for long blamed Pakistan for supporting, training and arming terrorists operating in Jammu and Kashmir, a charge denied by Islamabad.

Relations between the two countries continue to be strained despite their fresh commitment to a ceasefire on the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir in February following several months of back channel contacts between senior intelligence officials.