Former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah, on Wednesday condemned the recent spate of targeted attacks in Kashmir and wondered where the normality that the government frequently claims about was.

Kashmir was rocked by three targeted attacks on three consecutive days since Sunday. A police constable and a migrant labourer were killed while a police inspector was critically injured in these attacks.

On Wednesday, three army jawans patrolling Phagwari Gali in the Mendhar sector of Poonch were injured in a mine explosion near the Line of Control. Two of them have been shifted to a military hospital in Rajouri for specialised treatment.

It is not clear whether the mine was planted by militants or was part of an anti-infiltration obstacle system under which mines are planted along the borders to prevent infiltration.

The spate of attacks has taken place amid tall claims of normality by now-retired Jammu and Kashmir police chief Dilbagh Singh. Lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha is also known to make statements about the apparent restoration of peace and normality.

Omar on Wednesday said everybody knew that the situation was not normal and accused the government of misleading the people.

“Every time we hear statements from them that the situation is now normal and there is also a lot of improvement. Whenever we see such statements by the government, we get to see targeted attacks,” Omar said. “Sometimes police are targeted, sometimes civilians.”

The former chief minister said he felt sorry and condemned such attacks. “But we request the government to at least tell the truth,” he said.

On Monday, Singh had said the police were fully capable of safeguarding peace in Jammu and Kashmir.

“I think we are able (to safeguard peace). We have a lot of resources, the great strength of the force, morale, training... in every respect, we are capable. I have full faith that this force is capable of facing every challenge,” he said.

Shortly afterwards, a targeted attack claimed the life of a migrant labourer from Uttar Pradesh identified as Mukesh Kumar.

On Saturday, Singh told a police gathering that Kashmir was coming out of the “dark era of terrorism” and the “graph of terrorism has come down and flattened”.

The next day, police inspector Masroor Ahmad Wani was critically wounded in an attack by militants in old Srinagar city while playing cricket with his friends.

On Sunday, Sinha said the situation in Jammu and Kashmir had changed a lot because of the cooperation of the people.

“There is a change in people’s thinking as well and they want peace and tranquillity,” he had said.