Terrorists carried out attacks at two locations in Kashmir on Saturday night. The terrorists in Shopian killed a former sarpanch, while in Anantnag, a tourist couple from Rajasthan was injured. These incidents occurred two days prior to the Lok Sabha elections in Baramulla. According to a report by PTI, officials said, one of the attacks targeted an open tourist camp near Pahalgam, while the other occurred in Hirpora, South Kashmir, where the former sarpanch was killed.

“Terrorists fired upon and injured a woman, Farha, a resident of Jaipur (in Rajasthan) and her spouse Tabrez at Yannar in Anantnag. The injured were evacuated to a hospital for treatment. The area has been cordoned off. Further details shall follow,” read a post by the Kashmir Zone Police on X.

In the second attack occurring within half an hour, terrorists shot dead former sarpanch Aijaz Sheikh in Shopian’s Hirpora around 10:30 PM, officials reported. Sheikh, who was affiliated with the BJP, was rushed to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, they added.

The areas in Anantnag and Shopian have been cordoned off, and search operations have been launched to apprehend the attackers, PTI reported. These successive attacks coincide with the ongoing campaign for the parliamentary elections in the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency. Polling in Baramulla is scheduled for May 20, as part of the fifth round in the seven-phase general elections. 

Political parties react to the attack

Political parties in Jammu and Kashmir, including the National Conference, PDP, and BJP, have condemned the attacks.

Former chief minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, who is contesting the Lok Sabha elections from the Anantnag-Rajouri seat, wrote on X, “While we condemn the attack in Pahalgam today that resulted in injuries to two tourists followed by another attack on a (former) sarpanch in Hirpora, Shopian – the timing of these attacks given that the south election was delayed without any reason is a cause of concern. Especially keeping in mind normalcy claims touted by GOI (Government of India).”

Polling for the seat was initially scheduled for May 7 but was deferred after several political parties in Jammu and Kashmir raised concerns over weather conditions. The polling will now be held on May 25. National Conference President Farooq Abdullah and vice president Omar Abdullah also condemned the terror attacks.

“They have said that such acts of brutality remain a serious impediment to achieving long-term peace in J-K. They urged all communities to come together in these challenging times and support efforts towards lasting harmony. Their thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families during this difficult period,” said a statement from the party.

BJP said in a statement, “We strongly condemn the killing of ex-sarpanch Aijaz Ahmad Sheikh in Hirpora, Shopian, South Kashmir, by terrorists today.” “Aijaz Ahmad was a brave soldier of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Jammu and Kashmir. The BJP firmly stands with the family of Aijaz Ahmad, who lost his life in this terror attack,” said BJP further in the statement.