Bhat’s killing in Shopian makes Kashmiri Pandits jittery about their safety in the Valley

The fear among Kashmiri Pandits is back with the recent killing of Puran Krishan Bhat in the Valley on Saturday. Bhat was shot dead allegedly by terrorists in the Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir and according to Deputy inspector general of police Sujit Kumar the Kashmir Freedom Fighter (KFF) group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Bhat was attacked near his residence in the Chowdhary Gund area of the south Kashmir district. He was rushed to Shopian hospital where doctors declared him dead, police said. Later, hundreds of protesting displaced Kashmiri Pandit employees blocked the Jammu-Akhnoor road in protest against the killing.

Also read: Militants shoot dead Kashmiri Pandit in J&K’s Shopian

Pandits fear for their safety

Last year also number of killings had increased appreciably in October and terrorists had targeted Kashmiri Pandits then.

Kashmiri Pandits have been asking the government to relocate them, but say that nothing has happened. The latest killing has increased their fears and community members have been saying that they do not feel safe in the Valley anymore despite government assurances. Many Pandits have over the last one year left the Valley though there were reports earlier this year that the authorities were trying to stop them from doing so.

More foreign terrorists

According to the latest data, security forces eliminated 154 terrorists till September 2022, but there has been an increase in the number of foreign terrorists. Former DG CRPF Kuldip Singh, who retired recently, had told the media that there is a rise of foreign terrorists in J&K, especially after the Taliban came back to power in Afghanistan.

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In terms of recruitment, there has been a dip since 2019. In 2020, the total recruitment, as per the information received by Intelligence agencies, was 181, which reduced to 142 in 2021. This year, till September 21, only 82 terrorists have been recruited by terror outfits, government agencies claim.