Mumbai,  The SBI on Thursday expressed grief over the killing of Vijay Kumar, branch manager with Ellaquai Dehati Bank (EBD), a Srinagar-headquartered Regional Rural Bank sponsored by it, in J&K's Kulgam and promised all support to his family as well as to all other employees.

Noting that Vijay Kumar, who belonged to Rajasthan, was just 29 years old and had joined the EDB in March 2019, the SBI, in a statement, said that he was "one of many such bankers hailing from different parts of the country, who are working in the Kashmir Valley and other difficult places to ensure delivery of uninterrupted banking services to the public".

"SBI, as the sponsor of Ellaquai Dehati Bank, remains committed to ensure the safety and well-being of all its employees, including those posted in the Valley. The EDB shall ensure that the bereaved family is provided with necessary support - financial and otherwise - on priority," it said.

Vijay Kumar was killed by militants at Areah Mohanpora village in Kulgam on Thursday morning. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where the doctors pronounced him dead.