SRINAGAR: In a first incident of its type in militancy-hit Jammu and Kashmir, a young bodybuilder was killed in gang rivalry in Srinagar on Tuesday.
Unknown persons fired from close range towards a youth identified as Mehran Ali Sheikh outside his home at Nawa Kadal area in downtown Srinagar at around 11.30 am.
Mehran sustained multiple bullet injuries and was shifted to nearby SMHS hospital, where he succumbed to injuries later.
After the killing of Mehran, who was a bodybuilder and social media influencer, police and paramilitary personnel rushed to the area and launched search operation to track down the attackers. However, no arrests were reported.
A police spokesman late in the evening said primary investigation into killing youth of youth revealed that the incident is an act of gang rivalry.
“The preliminary investigations reveal that the slain youth was a part of 16 Gujjar Gang and was killed following a rivalry between two local gangs in the area. There was rivalry between two local gangs --Downtown Itehad and Gujjar Gang in the area and Mehran was part of Gujjar Gang,” he said.
The spokesman said further investigation into the matter is in progress.
It is the first incident of inter gang rivalry in Kashmir, which has been witnessing militancy violence since 1990.
Lashkar militant killed in Kulgam encounter
A militant of Lashkar was killed in an overnight encounter with security forces in the forest area of Gurwattan Aharbal area of Kulgam in south Kashmir.
Police said an AK-47 rifle, 1 pistol and 3-AK magazines were recovered from the encounter site.
The deceased militant was identified as Amir Yousuf Mir alias Haider R/o Shopian.
Amir, according to police, was A+ categorized militant and was active since 2017 and was involved in several militant cases including attacks on security forces and civilians.
“He was involved in kidnapping 3 policemen from their homes at Batagund Kapran in south Kashmir in September 2018 and subsequently killing them. He was also part of a group involved in firing on Army Camp and police station in Shopian besides threatening local Panchs,” a police spokesman said.