Gangangeer attack: Eyewitnesses reveal harrowing stories

Srinagar, Oct 24: Eyewitnesses of the Gagangeer terror attack in Ganderbal district have recounted the brutal attack carried out by two heavily armed terrorists, which left a trail of devastation across the area.
Rising Kashmir spoke to several workers and locals who shared harrowing stories of survival, describing how they narrowly escaped the indiscriminate firing that claimed the lives of seven individuals, including a Budgam doctor, shattering their sense of safety.
Rohan Kumar, a worker in Sonamarg, recounted that the terrorists first entered the workers’ mess before moving to the officers’ mess and finally reaching the main office. “They were firing indiscriminately, and after leaving, they set fire to two vehicles parked outside the temporary accommodation,” he said.
“We have been living in Gagangeer for years; it felt like a second home to us. Initially, we thought the sounds were from a marriage function and mistook the noise for firecrackers. But before long, there were cries and chaos everywhere,” Kumar recalled.
Kumar, who has worked in Kashmir for the past 15 years, described the terror in the workers’ mess, where he and others hid under beds. “If the attackers had waited a little longer, they would have fired at us too. They seemed to be in a hurry. I saw two workers lying in a pool of blood right in front of me. One security guard jumped in an attempt to escape but fractured both his legs,” he recalled.
Later, Kumar and his colleagues were instructed to leave the area. “We are now heading home, as directed by the authorities. We just hope that our company, with the help of the local government, will provide us with our pending bonuses and payments.” Kumar expressed disbelief over the barbaric nature of the incident, saying, “We were living peacefully, but now, no one knows who might be targeted next. We feel frightened to come back.”
Jagdeep Singh, another worker from Jammu who left the valley along with his colleagues, shared his experience after arriving at TRC Srinagar. “We heard the first gunfire at 7:10 p.m. I was in the workers’ mess when it happened. Initially, we thought it was firecrackers, but after a few minutes, we realized it was something much worse. The firing continued for about 10 to 13 minutes,” he said.
Singh recounted that one of his colleagues, who had taken a Bolero vehicle, abandoned it midway and warned everyone that terrorists had entered the camp. “We immediately sought refuge at a nearby CRPF camp,” he added.
“It was a terrifying experience. I have no intention of returning to the Valley. The terrorists were masked, and we were unarmed, with nothing to defend ourselves against heavily armed men,” Singh noted, revealing that their families are deeply worried and want them to come home. “Every labourer comes here with dreams of working and earning, but incidents like this make it unsafe,” he lamented. Singh further mentioned that most workers were leaving, with only a few staying behind for their shifts.
Local resident Ghulam Nabi Khatana described the tragedy as painful and unfortunate. “There was panic everywhere. Once the firing stopped, we rushed to help the injured and took them to Kangan hospital. The carnage was indescribable,” he said.
On Sunday, October 20, seven people, including a doctor, were killed and five others injured in the Gagangeer area when unidentified gunmen opened fire on a group of workers associated with Apco Infratech. The company is constructing a 6.5 km Z-Morh tunnel that will connect the Gagangeer area with the tourist resort of Sonamarg. This location falls on the main highway connecting Srinagar with Ladakh, further highlighting the incident’s implications for regional safety and development.