Anil Parihar and his brother were shot dead in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar
A BJP leader and his brother were shot dead by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar on Thursday evening, the police said, triggering fears of unrest and prompting authorities to impose a curfew in the area.
The killing of BJP state secretary Anil Parihar and his brother Ajit was the third attack on political workers in the last one month in the state, after the killing of two National Conference workers and a PDP leader in Srinagar.
"We are trying to find out the identity of the killers," senior police officer Dilbagh Singh told NDTV.
The army has been asked to remain on standby amid fears that the incident could provoke violence.
The two men were returning from their shop around 8 pm when they were fired upon from close range in a dark, narrow lane leading to their house in the Tapal Gali Mohalla of Kishtwar town which falls in the Jammu region of the state.
The attackers were apparently waiting for the brothers to return home and used pistols to target them, officials told news agency IANS.
They were taken to a hospital where doctors declared them brought dead, they said.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP chief Amit Shah condemned the attack.
Shocked & pained by the killing of J&K State BJP leader Sh. Anil Parihar & his brother. My heart goes out to the bereaved family. Spoke to Advisor to J&K Governor, Sh Vijay Kumar regarding the incident. The police will leave no stone unturned to bring the perpetrators to justice.
- राजनाथ सिंह (@rajnathsingh) November 1, 2018
Just got the tragic news of killing of Shri Anil Parihar, Secretary @BJP4JnK, and his brother by terrorists in Kishtwar. This is a cowardly act that shames humanity. I grieve the death of my valued colleague and pray that God gives his family strength to bear this untimely loss.
- Amit Shah (@AmitShah) November 1, 2018
A curfew has been imposed in Kishtwar and restrictions are being enforced in other towns of the Chenab Valley region of Jammu. Security forces have been put on high alert.
(With inputs from PTI and IANS)
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