Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) offshoot Kashmir Freedom Fighters on Tuesday claimed responsibility for the Shopian attack in which two Kashmiri Pandit orchard workers were targeted.
They issued a statement just a few hours after Sunil Kumar Bhat was shot dead while his brother sustained bullet injuries . They said the Kashmiri Pandit brothers had been targeted for encouraging people to take part in the Tiranga rallies.
The terror outfit said, "Today our cadre carried out an operation against settlers in Chotigam area of Shopian, In this operation, one Kashmiri Pandit Sunil Kumar was eliminated and his brother was critically injured They were core members for agencies in generating inputs about Freedom Fighters and Were Forcing people for so-called Tiranga Rallies, In addition to that we have already warned that anyone involved in the demographic change of Kashmir whether Pandits or Non-Locals will meet the same fate."
Sunil Kumar Bhat and Pintoo Kumar Bhat, the victims, were brothers from the village of Chotigam. They came under attack in an apple orchard in the Shopian neighbourhood of Chotipora.
Sunil Kumar, who had been shot twice, eventually passed away due to his injuries. Mortal remains of Bhat were brought to his residence in afternoon.
