Militants abduct, kill two Gujjars in Pulwama

This is the first militant attack in J&K after the abrogation of Article 370

terrorist-abstract-file Representational image

In the first incident of terrorist violence after the special status of Jammu and Kashmir was revoked, suspected militants on Monday abducted and killed two members of the nomadic Gujjar community from a forested area in Pulwama district, police said.

Abdul Qadeer Kohli of Rajouri district and Manzoor Ahmed of Khonmoh area of Srinagar were abducted by unidentified gunmen from 'Dhok', a temporary shelter, from the forested area of Tral in Pulwama district around 7:30pm, a police spokesperson said.

He said the bullet-riddled body of Kohli was later recovered by a search-and-rescue party. The body of Ahmed was found later, police announced on Tuesday morning.

This is the first militant attack after the BJP-led NDA government abrogated provisions of Article 370 and announced bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into Union territories on August 5.

Following the Centre's move, restrictions were put in place in the Kashmir valley. Though restrictions have been eased in most of Kashmir, normal life continued to remain paralysed with shops and business establishments closed and transport off the roads.

On August 20, a Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist and a special police officer were killed, while a police sub-inspector was injured in a gunfight in Baramulla district of north Kashmir—the first encounter between security forces and ultras after August 5.