Kashmir Killings Show Bid To Divide Society On Communal Lines: Army Commander

Condemning the recent killings in Jammu and Kashmir, General Officer Commanding of Chinar Corps Lieutenant General DP Pandey on Sunday said that some elements are trying to divide the society on communal lines and the people will expose those elements.

He further said that such elements are jealous of the positive developments that have taken place in the country and the union territory over the last year.

"These killings are condemnable. I believe that Kashmiris will expose the elements who are trying to divide Kashmiri society on communal lines," he said while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event in Baramulla.

He also expressed his confidence in the people in pulling out the anti-national elements.

"I do not believe everyone in Kashmir is equal. I also have full confidence that people will stand together irrespective of their religion to pull out the anti-national elements," he said.

The officer reiterated that the Line of Control (LoC) is absolutely secure and there is no need to worry about it.

In the recent past, several targeted killings have taken place in Jammu and Kashmir by terrorists over the last five days.

Two government teachers, including Supinder Kaur from Srinagar and Chand from Jammu, were killed on Thursday.

Makhan Lal Bindroo, a prominent Kashmiri Pandit and owner of a pharmacy in Srinagar, was shot dead at his shop on Tuesday evening. Just minutes later, a street hawker, Virendra Paswan from Bihar, was gunned down in Srinagar. Another civilian, Mohammad Shafi Lone, was killed in Naidkhai in Bandipora on the same day.

Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)-backed new Kashmiri terror group 'The Resistance Front (TRF)' is suspected as the prime terror outfit behind targeted killings in Jammu and Kashmir in the past few days that led the Centre to hold a high-level meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday at his North Block office.

"The TRF, which is an offshoot of LeT, has been created by Pakistan in an apparent bid to make terrorist groups in Kashmir look like indigenous ones. The group has been getting regular support from the neighbouring country," officials in National Investigation Agency (NIA) had said.

IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar earlier told ANI that the state police's intelligence inputs as well as previous records of the terror acts committed by the TRF clearly raise fingers towards the group behind the recent target killings in the Valley.

When asked about the prime suspect behind targeted killings in Kashmir, Mr Kumar responded with "LeT (TRF)".