RSS leader Chandrakant Sharma, who was attacked by terrorist in Kishtwar, succumbs to injuries

RSS leader Chandrakant Sharma, who was attacked by a terrorist in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar on Tuesday morning, succumbed to injuries, BJP spokesperson Sunil Sethi said. Medical assistant Chandrakant Sharma was working at Kishtwar district hospital when he was attacked. His PSO was also shot dead in the attack.

The personal security officer was killed after the terrorist snatched his weapon in the hospital in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar town. Chandrakant had gone to the local hospital for a check-up, the police said. Narrating the sequence of events, officials said the terrorists barged into the hospital and snatched the PSO's weapon. They attempted to fire at the RSS leader. In the ensuing scuffle, the policeman was shot dead while, the RSS leader received minor injuries. Senior police officials had rushed to the scene.

The curfew has been imposed in the communally-sensitive town in the Jammu region. The Army has been out to maintain law and order in Kishtwar and Bhaderwah districts of Jammu and Kashmir. The state administration has imposed the curfew in the town as well as in the neighbouring Bhaderwah, besides snapping the Internet connection, the officials said.

The terrorist was watching his movement. He opened fire on them, resulting in the death of the PSO on the spot and injury to the leader, Kishtwar Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shakti Pathak had told news agency PTI. "Curfew has been imposed in the town (as a precautionary measure)," Inspector General (Jammu region) Manish Sinha.

After the firing, the terrorist took away the weapon of the killed PSO identified as Rajinder before fleeing from the spot, he said. Earlier, the police had said that the unidentified gunmen had snatched the rifle of the PSO and shot at the RSS leader. Sharma, along with another civilian, had been airlifted to Jammu for further treatment. Following the attack, protests broke out in Kishtwar town and at a hospital against the government and police.

Apprehending law and order situation, authorities imposed curfew in Kishtwar and Bhaderwah towns of Kishtwar and Doda district, the officials said. This is a second incident of a terrorist attack in Kishtwar town during past six months period. On November 1, state secretary of BJP Anil Parihar and his brother Ajeet, who were returning from their shop in Kishtwar, were gunned down in the firing by terrorists in a lane leading to their house in Kishtwar town.

(With PTI inputs)