Srinagar, Feb 7 (Reporter) Unidentified militants Wednesday evening shot dead a man from Punjab and grievously injured another civilian in Srinagar. This is the first such targeted killing in the Valley this year. Police identified the victim as 31-year-old Amrit Pal, a resident of Amritsar. Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, Vidhi Kumar Birdi said the duo- Amrit and Rohit (25)- both residents of Amritsar, were on their way to their rented accommodation in a Srinagar locality when they were attacked. "The two had returned from Amritsar today only. While Amrit succumbed to the injuries, Rohit was shifted to a medical facility," Birdi told UNI. A police spokesman said the attack took place in Shaheed Gunj Srinagar Wednesday evening. Soon after the shooting incident, the area was cordoned by joint forces and a massive hunt was launched to trace the attackers. This is the first targeted killing this year. The last targeted attack took place on October 30, 2023 when a non-local labourer from Uttar Pradesh, Mukesh Kumar was shot dead in South Kashmir’s Pulwama. The attacks on migrant labourers and minority members started in the Valley in 2019 after the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status. The attacks saw an uptick in 2022. The killing of the Amritsar man, a carpenter, has evoked strong condemnation. Jammu and Kashmir National Conference President Farooq Abdullah and Vice President Omar Abdullah termed it a "barbaric" incident. “Violence should have no place in our society & such acts of barbarity only serve to hinder the progress & peace we strive for,” they said in a statement. The Peoples Democratic Party Chairman, Parliamentary Board, Mohammad Sartaj Madni, vehemently denounced the act, saying it is aimed at disrupting the peace and tranquility in Kashmir. Peoples Conference, chief Sajad Lone said such acts of terrorism are completely reprehensible and have no place in our society BJP leader Altaf Thakur said the attack took place on the auspicious occasion of Shabe Mehraj. “ This shows that terrorists who are the sons of evil don't have any religion but also have no humanity left in them. I urge the police to act swiftly and punish the culprits forthwith...////...