A retired police officer, Mohammad Shafi Mir, aged 72, was shot dead while reciting the Azaan (call to prayer) in a mosque in the Gantmulla village of Sheeri Baramulla. The assailants, believed to be militants, fired from a vintage .12-bore rifle, causing Mir to sustain four pellet wounds, with two hitting vital organs. The unprecedented incident, the first involving firearms in the village since 1989, shocked residents who initially mistook Mir's collapse for a medical emergency. Mir, known for his integrity and commitment to prayers, had a background in law enforcement and was a Muezzin in the local mosque. Investigations are underway, with authorities seizing .12-bore guns from the locality for examination. The tragic event has drawn widespread condemnation, highlighting the complex security situation in Kashmir.