Police said victim Aijaz Ahmad Reshi, a former militant, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen outside his residence in the <g data-gr-id="33">Mundji</g> locality of Sopore town. No militant outfit has so far claimed responsibility for the attack.
This is fourth such killing in the past seven days. Suspected gunmen of a Hizbul Mujahideen faction had killed a shopkeeper in Sopore on Sunday.
Victim Mehraj-<g data-gr-id="27">ud</g>-din Bhat, who ran a poultry shop, was shot dead just outside his shop-cum-residence at Badamibagh, officials said.
On Friday night, suspected ultras shot dead another shopkeeper while a government employee, who was an activist of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, was killed on Tuesday.
Expressing concern over the murders, J&K Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on Monday ordered <g data-gr-id="28">time-bound</g> enquiry into Sopore killings and convened a meeting of the Unified Headquarters on Wednesday to discuss the issue.
"The Chief Minister has taken a serious view of the killings of civilians in Sopore and issued directions to the Home Department for stepping up investigations and providing secure environment to all civilians," an official spokesman said. He said the matter is scheduled to be discussed in the meeting of the Unified Headquarters, which has been convened on June 17.
The spokesman said the police has taken all possible steps to fast-track investigation into all the relevant aspects of the incidents and set up <g data-gr-id="29">special</g> monitoring mechanism to keep track of <g data-gr-id="30">proper</g> investigation.
The government is making <g data-gr-id="24">all out</g> efforts to ensure safety and security of the innocent civilians, the spokesman said.
Sopore killings <g data-gr-id="48">unfortunate,</g> will approach Governor: NC
Opposition National Conference on Monday termed as "unfortunate" the string of militant attacks targeting civilians in Sopore township and said it will approach Governor NN Vohra over the issue. "These attacks are unfortunate and unacceptable. A sense of fear has gripped people. The party condemns the attacks," said NC general secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar. A former militant was gunned down in the town on Monday, the fourth in a series of mysterious killings and second since yesterday. Sagar criticised CM Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and sought to know from him who was behind the attacks. "It is his (Sayeed's) responsibility. He should break his silence. As Home Minister, he should say who is behind the attacks and what is the design behind them," he said.
Sopore killings: Separatists call for strike tomorrow
Several separatist outfits in J&K on Monday called for a state-wide strike on Wednesday to protest against the string of militant attacks against civilians in Sopore town of Baramulla district. The decision to call a state-wide strike on June 17 was taken after a <g data-gr-id="75">consulative</g> meeting between representatives of Hurriyat Conference faction led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Tehreek-e-Hurriyat led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Yasin Malik-headed JKLF. A spokesman of the moderate Hurriyat denounced the killing of a shopkeeper in the town by suspected militants today, saying the separatist leadership "cannot remain a mute spectator to these daring incidents of killing".