Sheikh Waseem Bari, Kashmiri local BJP leader
© FacebookThree people including a BJP leader has been killed in a fresh terror attack in Kashmir’s Bandipora.
Sheikh Waseem Bari, a local BJP leader and two members of his family were shot dead by suspected terrorists in Kashmir's Bandipore district late on Wednesday evening. Sheikh Waseem Bari was a former president of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Bandipora district, 60 km north of Srinagar.

Sheikh Waseem Bari's father Basheer Ahmad and brother Umar were also killed in the attack that took place at his shop in Bandipore, said police.

Inspector general of police Kashmir, Vijay Kumar said that Bari,his father and brother received critical injuries in the gunfire opened by terrorists at his shop. All three were rushed to the hospital but were declared brought dead, Kumar said.

The incident took place despite Bari having ten personal security officers to guard him. None of them were present when the militants attacked, said Kumar. At the time of the incident, they were sitting on the first floor of Bari's house, which is adjacent to the shop. All ten of his PSOs have been arrested, he added.


Comment: These Personal security officers belongs to Jammu & Kashmir Police. Pakistan backed hybrid group is suspected to be behind the killing.
Hours after BJP leader Sheikh Waseem Bari and his two family members were killed, J&K police have found vital evidence which indicate the involvement of terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) involvement.

The J&K police have retrieved CCTV footage which shows a terrorist moments before BJP leader and his two family members were killed. Sheikh Waseem Bari, his brother Umar Sultan and father Bashir Ahmad Sheikh were shot dead by the terrorists.

Police have also found out that at least one of the two terrorists behind the killing is a Pakistani terrorist; the other one is a local terrorist.
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DGP Dilbagh Singh said this is the "handiwork of a hybrid group". "Two terrorists involved including — one local and one a Pakistani," he added. IG Vijay Kumar said one of the Lashkar operatives is identified as "Abid".

Singh believes the killings were planned and the attacked was carried out keeping in mind the proximity of the Bandipora police station, which is 50 feet away from where the incident occurred.
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Sources in the intelligence agencies said Jaish-e-Mohammed was initially suspected but later LeT's involvement was confirmed. However, it may be noted that those responsible for killed Bari and his relatives were from hybrid groups.

In the hybrid group module, terror operatives move from one terror group to another and even change names to maintain stealth. The initial claim of attack has been made by The Resistance Front (TRF), a Pakistan-based terror group and a new front for Lashkar
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Considering that security camps were close by and PSOs were present indicates at a conspiracy.

All the PSO's have been questioned on their presence and dereliction of duty. An officer confirmed that even after the terrorists fired and killed Bari, not a single bullet was fired by the PSOs. In an unprecedented measure, all 10 personal security officials have been arrested.



A combined team of state police and army personnel have launched a man hunt to nab the terrorists.

Bari's death has been condoled by former J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah, who expressed concern at the "continuing" attacks on mainstream politicians.

"Sorry to hear about the murderous terror attack on the BJP functionaries and their father in Bandipore earlier this evening. I condemn the attack. My condolences to their families in this time of grief. Sadly the violent targeting of mainstream political workers continues unabated," tweeted Omar soon after the attack.

Bari was a young BJP leader, who was a well known figure in Bandipore district.

The development comes a day after NIA arrested a local youth for providing logistical support to Jaish-e-Mohammed (Jem) terrorists who carried out Pulwama terror attack in February 2019 by ramming an explosive laden car into a CRPF convoy killing 40 troopers.

Bilal Ahmed Kuchey, a resident of Kakpora of Pulwama district, was the seventh person to be arrested in connection with the case. He is supposed to have given shelter to the JeM terrorists and provided them with high end phones for communication with their handlers in Pakistan and also among themselves while planning the execution of the attack.

One of the mobile phones he arranged was used by Pulwama bomber Adil Ahmed Dar for recording his last video, said NIA.