3 min readSrinagarUpdated: Aug 1, 2026 02:08 AM IST
Two men from Chhattisgarh working in a brick kiln in South Kashmir were shot from point-blank range in the second terror attack witnessed in the Valley this month. One of them died in the attack, while the other is critical.
According to J&K Police Inspector General V K Birdi, the attack took place in the village of Kilam in Kulgam district. The deceased, Deepak, and the injured man, Bhupender, both hail from Bilaspur.
The attack comes just 10 days after a J&K Police head constable was killed in a busy market in Anantnag district. That was the first terror attack the state witnessed since last April’s Pahalgam attack that left 26 civilians dead.
Brick kilns in the Valley are staffed almost entirely by migrant workers, who also stay on site due to high demand and a limited working season.
More than 15 migrant workers have been killed in terror attacks in J&K since 2021. Over the past two decades, migrant labourers have become an integral part of Kashmir’s economy. While they come from various states, including Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, most hail from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal.
Though the administration has not compiled specific data, industry and trade bodies estimate the number at between two lakh and four lakh. However, research scholars studying migration patterns, along with 2011 Census data, indicate the actual figure could exceed 11 lakh in the Kashmir Valley alone.
The attack drew condemnation from across the political spectrum. J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, who heads law and order in J&K, said he had spoken with DGP Nalin Prabhat and top security officials after the incident.
“I have directed our security forces to step up their operations and eliminate the terrorists. J&K Police and Security forces have cordoned off the area and launched an operation to bring the perpetrators to justice. The injured labourer has been rushed to the hospital for urgent medical care,” he said.
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PDP chief and former CM Mehbooba Mufti said, “They work themselves to the bone far away from home only to feed their families. Unimaginably cruel to target them in such senseless acts of violence.”
The ruling National Conference said, “These people are here to earn their livelihoods, and this unfortunate incident is in no way acceptable in any civilised society. It is shocking to witness such gruesome killings in spite of the claims made on the security apparatus.”
Leader of Opposition in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, Sunil Sharma, called the incident “cowardly and barbaric” and a bid to disturb peace and normalcy in J&K.
