Ex-serviceman killed, wife and niece injured in militant attack in Kulgam

SRINAGAR: In the first non-combatant killing of the year, militants shot dead an ex-serviceman and injured his wife and 13-year-old niece in an attack in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Monday, officials said here.

Details so far indicate that two militants armed with pistols arrived at the residence of Manzoor Ahmad Wagay in Beehi Bagh, approximately 10 kilometers from the district headquarters, and opened fire on his family members, which included his wife and niece.

According to initial statements recorded by police and army officials, Wagay, a former member of the Territorial Army, sustained additional bullet wounds while attempting to protect his niece.

The militants, believed to be from banned Lashkar-e-Taiba, fired upon Wagay as he returned home, and all three victims were rushed to a nearby hospital, where Wagay succumbed to injuries.

Police have taken cognizance of the incident and initiated an investigation into the attack.

The incident marks the first attack on a civilian this year as Wagay had retired from the Territorial Army in 2021. Family members said that after his military service, Wagay had engaged in livestock rearing.

The officials said that Monday’s attack could possibly be an act of revenge for gunning down the top cadres of the Hizbul Mujahideen in December last year. (PTI)