Seven employees of infra company gunned down in Kashmir terror 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.
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Security forces cordon off the site of the terror attack at Gagangir in Ganderbal district on Sunday. (PTI)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.
The employees are from Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Jammu, and include a safety manager and a mechanical manager. The doctor, sources said, was a resident of Budgam in central Kashmir.
Out of the five injured workers, two are from Kashmir, two from Jammu, and one from Bihar. They have been shifted to SKIMS, Srinagar for specialised treatment.
Senior police officers, including Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat and Inspector General of Police Kashmir Virdhi Kumar Birdi, have rushed to Sonamarg, while top civil officers in Srinagar have reached the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS).
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and several other political leaders condemned the attack.
“The dastardly terror attack on civilians in Gagangir 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,” Shah posted on X.
Gadkari called it a “horrific terror attack on innocent laborers, who were engaged in a vital infrastructure project”.
Chief Minister Abdullah posted online, “Very sad news of a dastardly and cowardly attack on non-local labourers at Gagangir in Sonamarg region. These people were working on a key infrastructure project in the area.”
L-G Sinhas said security forces have been “given full freedom” to act. “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,” he said. “Our brave personnel are on the ground and they will ensure terrorists pay a very heavy price for their action.”
Nearing completion, the Z-Morh tunnel is being built on the road between Srinagar and Sonamarg, bypassing the avalanche-prone area near Gagangir. The aim is to provide all-year connectivity between Srinagar and Sonamarg.
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