Seven employees of an infrastructure company, including a doctor from Kashmir, were killed in a terror attack on a camp housing workers near the Sonamarg health resort on the Srinagar-Leh national highway. Five employees were also injured in the attack.
This is the first major attack in the Valley on construction workers of a large infrastructure project, and has taken place in a region that has witnessed little or no presence of militants in the last decade.
Police sources said that on Sunday evening, suspected militants opened fire on a camp set up by the construction company, which is building the Z-Morh tunnel near Gagangir on the Srinagar-Sonamarg road.
Sources said the men were having dinner when the attack took place. According to a J&K government official, injured workers told them that two men came, snapped the electricity and opened fire at the camp.
According to police officials, terrorists opened fire on the labourers’ camp, which housed workers from a private company involved in the tunnel construction. The assault was swift and deadly, leading to immediate fatalities and injuries among the labourers.
In response to the attack, police and security forces rapidly mobilised to the area to apprehend the assailants and secure the location. Investigations are currently underway to identify the perpetrators and understand the motives behind this violent act.
According to police sources, the assailants on Sunday evening indiscriminately fired at the camp, which housed workers of a company engaged in constructing the Z-Morh tunnel at Gagangeer on the Srinagar-Leh national highway.
Jammu and Kashmir’s former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed his condolences on social media, calling the incident a “dastardly and cowardly attack” on innocent labourers.
He emphasised the significance of the project the victims were working on and condemned the assault on unarmed individuals. Abdullah extended his sympathies to the families of the deceased and those injured, urging for justice and enhanced security for non-local workers in the region.
“Very sad news of a dastardly and cowardly attack on non-local labourers at Gagangeer in Sonamarg region. These people were working on a key infrastructure project in the area. 2 have been killed and 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,” J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said in a post on X.
The injured labourers have been rushed to hospital, sources said. The identity of the casualties have not yet been made public.
