After 3 including chemist, 2 teachers killed by terrorists in Srinagar

Top Jammu and Kashmir police officers rushed on the spot as the shooting was reported but remained tight-lipped about the fresh killings as condemnations poured in

The principal and a teacher at a government school in Srinagar were shot dead in the city’s Eidgah area on Thursday, taking the toll from targeted attacks on civilians in Kashmir to five since Tuesday. Police said Satinder Kour, the principal, and teacher Deepak Chand died on the spot when they were fired upon at the school. Chand was from Jammu and both he and Kour lived in Srinagar’s Aolochi Bagh area.

Security forces outside the government school in Srinagar where two teachers were shot dead in a targeted attack (HT Poto/by Waseem Andrabi)

The two were killed two days after Makhan Lal Bindroo, a 68-year-old chemist, street vendor Virender Paswan from Bihar’s Bhagalpur, and Muhammad Shafi Lone, a taxi driver, were shot dead at separate places in Kashmir on Tuesday. Since last week, seven civilians have been killed in Srinagar alone.

Top police officers rushed on the spot as the shooting was reported but remained tight-lipped about the fresh killings as condemnations poured in.

Former chief minister Omar Abdullah said condemnation was not enough for this inhuman act of terror. “Shocking news coming in again from Srinagar. Another set of targeted killings, this time of two teachers in a Govt school in Idgah area of the city. Words of condemnation are not enough for this inhuman act of terror but I pray for the souls of the deceased to rest in peace.”

In a tweet, the People’s Democratic Party of former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti said: “Terrible news of killing of two teachers in Srinagar coming to fore. When will this dance of death come to an end. Will the administration stop trumpeting the hollow slogans of ‘Normalcy’ now. Deepest condolences with the families.”

Former minister Sajad Lone tweeted: “Reports of cowardice emerging. Two teachers shot dead. It is important to understand that terrorists have no religion. Muslims have been killed too. I personally had a killing in my family. This is a lunatic fringe which is a curse for Kashmir. May Allah rid us of this curse.”

Srinagar mayor Junaid Mattu wrote on Twitter: “Heartbroken, devastated and shattered by the news of the brutal killing of two school teachers at a school in Eidgah. No words can express my anger and anguish. My heart goes out to their families. I stand by them in this hour of grief and trauma. Inconsolable tragedy!”