A doctor and six workers were killed in a terrorist attack on a tunnel construction site on the Srinagar-Leh National Highway in Jammu and Kashmir's Ganderbal district. Officials said when laborers and other employees working on a tunnel project in Gund area of the district returned to their camp late in the evening, unidentified militants attacked them. The workers were having lunch when the incident took place. Suddenly the lights went out and the terrorists started firing on the workers. It is believed that the number of terrorists was at least two. The Resistance Front (TRF), an organization associated with Lashkar-e-Taiba, has claimed responsibility for the incident.
Officials said two workers died on the spot while four other injured workers and a doctor died later. He said that five injured are undergoing treatment. He said security forces have cordoned off the area and have launched a search operation to nab the attackers. Top security officials, including Kashmir's Inspector General of Police (IGP) VK Birdy, have reached the spot to assess the situation.
The area where the terrorist attack took place in Ganderbal falls in the assembly constituency of CM Omar Abdullah. He said- I strongly condemn this attack and express my condolences to the bereaved families. Home Minister Shah said that those involved in this attack will not be spared. Also Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said that this attack is against those who have contributed to the development of the country.
Pictures after the incident…
7 people lost their lives in the terrorist attack.
All were working in central government tunnel projects.
The injured are being treated at Srinagar Medical College.
All the injured are from outside states.
Workers have been fired upon in private company camps.
Kashmir Zone Police IG VK Birdy reached the spot.
Terrorists attacked this vehicle outside the labor camp of Sonmarg.
The terrorists targeted workers from Punjab and Bihar Jammu and Kashmir Police said the doctor has been identified as Shahnawaz Ahmed of Budgam. The other six deceased have been identified as Gurmeet Singh from Gurdaspur in Punjab, Anil Kumar Shukla and Faheem Nazir from Bihar, Shashi Abrol from Kathua, Mohammad Hanif and Kaleem from Bihar.
Even 4 days ago, a non-local youth was killed Earlier on October 16, terrorists shot dead a non-local youth in Shopian. The deceased was identified as Ashok Chauhan. Ashok Chauhan went from Bihar to Jammu and Kashmir to work as a labourer. His body was found under suspicious circumstances.
There were three target killings in April
22 April: Terrorists opened fire on a house in Rajouri. In which 40-year-old Mohammad Razak was killed. He was a resident of Kunda Tope Shahdara Sharif. This was the third incident of target killing in April.
Razak's brothers are soldiers in the army. 19 years ago, terrorists killed Razak's father Mohammad Akbar in this same village. He was employed in the welfare department. Razak got the job after his father.
Mohammad Razak's last rites were performed in Rajouri, which was attended by a large number of people.
April 8: Paramjit Singh, a non-Kashmiri local driver, was shot dead by militants in Padawan of South Kashmir's Shopian district. He was a resident of Delhi. Terrorists attacked Paramjit when he was on duty. After carrying out the incident, the terrorists fled from the spot.
April 17: Bihar tourist Shankar Shah was shot dead by terrorists. The assailants shot him in the stomach and neck.
On April 17, terrorists shot dead a migrant from Bihar.
Two people from Punjab were killed in February
On February 7, terrorists shot dead two youths from Amritsar.
In Srinagar, on 7 February 2024, terrorists shot dead two people from the Sikh community with an AK-47 rifle in the Habba Kadal area. The deceased have been identified as Amrit Pal (age 31) and Rohit Masih (age 25), both residents of Amritsar. Amrit Pal died on the spot. Rohit died during treatment.
Other incidents of target killing in the last 2 years 26 February 2023: Terrorists killed Kashmiri Pandit Sanjay Sharma in Pulwama. He was working as a guard in his village. He was returning from duty in the morning. After that the terrorists opened fire on him.
29 May 2023: A civilian was shot dead by terrorists in Anantnag. The deceased was identified as Deepak Kumar. Deepak was a resident of Udhampur, Jammu and worked at a circus fair in Jangalat Mandi, Anantnag.
15 October 2022: Puran Krishna Bhatt was shot at by terrorists in Chaudhrigund village of Shopian. A seriously injured Puran was admitted to a hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead.
August 2022: Three migrant laborers from Bihar were shot dead by terrorists in Shopian. Apart from this, a Kashmiri Pandit was killed in an apple orchard. A migrant from Bihar was shot dead by terrorists in Bandipora.
November 2022: Two laborers from Uttar Pradesh's Kannauj district were killed by terrorists in Shopian. Militants hurled a grenade in Harman, Shopian, injuring two labourers, Monish Kumar and Ram Sagar.
Cause of killing of non-Kashmiris in valley
Intelligence agencies said, target killing is a new conspiracy of Pakistan to spread unrest in Kashmir. It is believed to be aimed at sabotaging plans to rehabilitate Kashmiri Pandits in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370.
After the abrogation of Article 370, incidents of target killings have increased in Kashmir, with militants particularly targeting Kashmiri Pandits, migrant workers and local Muslims working in the government or police, whom they consider India's kin.
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
