Doctor, Migrant Workers Among 7 Killed By Terrorists In J&K’s Ganderbal; CM Abdullah, Shah Condemn Attack

Terrorists had opened fire on a camp housing workers of a private company, who were working on an under-construction Z-Mohr tunnel | Image/CNN-News18

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.

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.

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 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.

“Very sad news of a dastardly & cowardly attack on non-local labourers at Gagangir in Sonamarg region. These people were working on a key infrastructure project in the area. 2 have been killed & 2-3 more have been injured in this militant attack. I strongly condemn this attack on unarmed innocent people and send my condolences to their loved ones,” Abdullah, who recently took on his new role in the Union Territory, said in a social media post.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha in a social media post said terrorists who orchestrated the killings will ‘not go unpunished’.

“I strongly condemn the heinous terrorist attack on civilians in Gagangeer. I assure the people that those behind this despicable act will not go unpunished. We have given full freedom to J&K Police, Army and Security forces,” Sinha said on X.

Home minister Amit Shah also condemned the terror attacks and said the killings are an ‘act of cowardice’.

“The dastardly terror attack on civilians in Gagangir, J&K, is a despicable act of cowardice. Those involved in this heinous act will not be spared and will face the harshest response from our security forces. At this moment of immense grief, I extend my sincerest condolences to the families of the deceased. Praying for the speedy recovery of those injured,” Shah said in a social media post.

Congress leader and the party’s general secretary Priyanka Gandhi also condemned the attack via a social media post.

Source: https://www.news18.com/india/terrorists-target-non-locals-in-kashmirs-gagangir-two-killed-in-gunfire-9092772.html

 

 

Exit mobile version