Many have seen the viral CCTV footage of a young man whipping a Kalashnikov from his pheran and firing from his hip to kill two policemen outside a shop. The boy has been identified as from the Burzala area —where he fired. We are told he had taken to militancy only two weeks before.
The Burzala-Baghat area is an upmarket part of central Srinagar, on the main road from the heart of town to the airport. It has large mansions, and the house of the city mayor (though he now lives in a plush security enclave.)
No wonder that killing sent shivers through upmarket Srinagar. I am told police officers across the city barely slept for the next few days, for there were reports of several more militants. An IED was defused on the upmarket south side of the city bypass.
Even minor politicians and those who have publicly spoken in favour of the establishment, or met visiting diplomats as recently as last week, have been warned not to venture out. They are likely to be especially targeted.
The…