Kulgam, Aug 01 (KNO): Two migrant labourers from Chhattisgarh were killed after terrorists opened fire at a brick kiln in Kelam village in South Kashmir's Kulgam district on Friday evening.
An official told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that both the workers sustained critical injuries in the attack. One of them, identified as Deepak Ratray, died on the spot, while the other, Bhupendra Bhaina, was shifted to Government Medical College (GMC) Anantnag before being referred to SKIMS Soura for advanced treatment. “Bhaina succumbed to his injuries during treatment at SKIMS taking the death toll in the attack to two,” he added.
Both the deceased were from Chhattisgarh and were working at the brick kiln in Kulgam.
Soon after the attack, Police, Army and CRPF personnel rushed to the area and launched a cordon-and-search operation. Security has also been heightened across Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of the incident.
The attack comes less than 10 days after terrorists shot dead a policeman in Lal Chowk area of Anantnag town.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha condemned the attack, saying he had spoken to Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat and other senior security officials following the incident. In a post on X, the Lieutenant Governor said he had directed security forces to intensify operations and eliminate the terrorists responsible for the attack. He also said the area had been cordoned off and a search operation launched to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah strongly condemned the killing of the two labourers and announced an ex-gratia relief of Ra 10 lakh each from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund (CMRF) for the next of kin of the deceased.
The Chief Minister said the assistance would be in addition to the Rs 6 lakh immediate relief being provided by the district administration.
Expressing profound grief, CM Omar conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families, prayed for eternal peace to the departed souls and assured that the government stands firmly with the families during this difficult time.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai also condemned the terror attack and announced Rs 20 lakh ex-gratia for each of the families of the deceased workers.
He termed the attack an assault on humanity and national unity and directed the Chhattisgarh Government to depute a senior officer to Jammu and Kashmir to coordinate with the local administration and the bereaved families to ensure the last rites are conducted with full dignity and according to religious customs.
Sai expressed confidence that those responsible for the attack would be brought to justice and awarded the strictest punishment under the law.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi also condemned the attack, describing the killing of the two workers as "extremely tragic."
He extended condolences to the bereaved families and said strict action must be taken against the terrorists, asserting that the nation remains united against terrorism.
National Conference President Dr Farooq Abdullah also expressed grief over the incident and called for an honest and thorough investigation into the killings.
Speaking to reporters in Tangmarg, Dr Farooq, as per KNO, said, “I am deeply saddened by the incident. We don’t know who killed them or who is behind the attack. It must be investigated honestly and thoroughly. I don’t know why such attacks occur whenever we demand statehood.”
Moreover, Mirwaiz Dr Moulvi Mohammad Umar Farooq also condemned the killings, saying Islam upholds the sanctity of every innocent human life and unequivocally rejects the killing of innocent people.
In a statement issued to KNO, Mirwaiz said targeting poor labourers who had come to Kashmir to earn an honest livelihood is completely against the teachings of Islam and the values of humanity.
Furthermore, Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather also condemned the terror attack, describing the killing of the non-local labourers as ‘the murder of entire humanity.’
He expressed sympathy with the bereaved families and said such acts of violence have no place in a civilised society—(KNO)