A doctor and six migrant workers were killed after terrorists struck a tunnel construction site on the Srinagar-Leh national highway in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ganderbal district on Sunday evening, officials said.
The terrorists had opened fire on a camp housing workers of a private company, who were working on an under-construction Z-Mohr tunnel in the Gund area, which connects Gaganeer to Sonamarg in Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district.
The police and army have cordoned off the area to track the attackers.
The Z-Mohr tunnel is strategically important for defence. The tunnel will provide all-weather connectivity to people and the Indian Army in Ladakh. Heavy snowfall at Zojila often cuts off Ladakh from Kashmir. This disrupts the movement of forces, people and essential goods and services.
Security personnel from the Central Reserve Police Forces (CRPF) along with local police officials have cordoned off the area. Teams from the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the premier agency that investigates terror attacks, have also rushed to the spot.
#Terror incident in Gagangeer, #Ganderbal. Area cordoned off by security forces. Further details shall follow.@JmuKmrPolice
— Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) October 20, 2024
Pak-Backed Lashkar’s Front Claims Attack
The attack was orchestrated by the terrorist group The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), as the group claimed responsibility for the killings.
At least two unidentified terrorists carried out the attack, said sources, adding that they attacked the labourers and other staff when they returned to their camp after working on the tunnel project.
#WATCH | J&K: IG Kashmir Zone police VK Birdi arrived at Gagangeer, Ganderbal the terror incident spot. The area was cordoned off by security forces.
(Visuals deferred by unspecified time) pic.twitter.com/kDupnBsER1
— ANI (@ANI) October 20, 2024
Ganderbal district, long regarded as a peaceful area, has seen non-locals targeted for the first time in recent years. Gagangir is located in the Sonamarg area of the Ganderbal district.
The casualty figure from the Gagangir attack is not final as there are a number of injured labourers, both local & non-local. Praying that the injured make a full recovery as the more seriously injured are being referred to SKIMS, Srinagar.
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) October 20, 2024
The district has largely remained calm, and the area where gunfire erupted today has experienced peace for the past 10-15 years.
Videos of the incident are going viral on social media. Graphic footage showed two people, both men and dressed for winter, lying in a pool of blood near the campsite.
CM Abdullah, HM Shah Condemn Attack
Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah also said that these two individuals were involved in a key infrastructure project while condemning their death at the hands of the terrorists.
