Srinagar,
A Hajin family in north Kashmir came under terror attack for the second time in a year when militants barged into their house and killed a male member and injured two women, using knives and guns.

The police blamed the Lashkar-e-Toiba for the abduction and killing of 32-year-old Naseer Ahmad Sheikh of Ghat Mohalla, Hajin. Naseer’s body was recovered hours after his abduction on the outskirts of Hajin in Bandipora district.

Around 11 pm on Monday, a group of gunmen barged into the residential house of Farooq Ahmad Parray and kidnapped his son-in-law Naseer Sheikh.

“When the inmates resisted, the militants fired upon them and attacked them with knives, causing injuries to Naseer’s wife Neelofar, 26, mother-in-law Rafiqa, 65, and brother-in-law Hilal Ahmad Parray, 29,” a police officer in north Kashmir said.

He said Neelofar suffered a bullet injury and stab wound, Rafiqa a stab wound in abdomen and throat and Hilal a stab wound. They were taken to the local Community Health Centre, and then shifted to Srinagar for further treatment. The condition of the mother and daughter is stated to be critical. “Naseer’s body was recovered around 11 am on the outskirts of Hajin, nearly 6 km from where he was abducted. His body had visible torture marks and two bullet wounds,” the officer said. A police spokesman in Srinagar blamed a six-member group of the Lashkar for the killing and attack on the family.

“The investigation reveals that local terrorist Mohammad Saleem Parrey has played a major role in the killing of the innocent civilian. Five foreign terrorists affiliated with the LeT Abu Muslim, Hubaib, Khalid, Abu Hamza and Haider are involved in the killing,” the spokesman said.

Hajin, over 30 km from Srinagar, was once the headquarters of pro-government militia – Ikhwan. However, of late the Hajin locality has turned into base for the Lashkar and its foreign cadres. In November last year, six top Pakistani Lashkar militants, including Obaid, son of second-in-command of Jamat-ud-Dawah Abdul Rehman Makki and nephew of Mumbai attack mastermind Zakir Rehman Lakhvi, were killed in a gunfight at Chandrageer, Hajin. In January last year, Abu Musaib, another nephew of Lakhvi, was also killed in a gunfight in Hajin. After the November gunfight, security forces had claimed the killings of top Lashkar brass would clean up the area. However, with the killing of Naseer, it appears that the Lashkar has regrouped in Hajin.