New Delhi: 

The National Investigation Agency – India’s counter-terrorism force – will take over the probe into the targeted killing of 11 civilians in Jammu and Kashmir this month, sources said Tuesday morning.

The NIA has been mandated by the Home Ministry to investigate a potential larger conspiracy behind the killings, and is expected to take over four cases from the J&K police.

The most recent killings took place on Sunday, when two labourers from Bihar were shot dead by terrorists in Wanpoh in Kulgam district. A third was injured.

The deaths came a day after a golgappa seller, also from Bihar, and a carpenter from Uttar Pradesh were shot dead in the Valley. The golgappa seller, Arbind Kumar Sah, was shot at from point-blank range in Srinagar and the carpenter, Sagir Ahmad, was killed in Pulwama, police said.

Of the 11 people killed, five were from other states.

This indicates the terrorists are targeting people from other states, an official said.

The other victims included Makhan Lal Bindroo, a prominent member of the Kashmiri Pandit community and owner of a pharmacy in Srinagar; Mohammad Shafi Lone, a taxi driver; teachers Deepak Chand and Supunder Kaur; and street food vendor Virender Paswan.

The killings have sparked fear in the Valley, prompting an exodus of Kashmiri Pandit families living in transit camps. Dozens of families, including those of government employees who returned to the Valley after getting jobs under the Prime Minister’s special scheme for Kashmiri migrants, have left.

In the wake of the attacks, police launched a massive crackdown and detained about 900 people across the Union Territory for alleged links with separatists.

The security forces have also intensified anti-terror operations.

According to the authorities, over a dozen terrorists have been killed over the past week.