• 1 injured critical, 4 other stable: Director SKIMS
• Intensive Search Ops underway
• 2 terrorists involved in the attack: IGP Kashmir
• LG Sinha, CM Omar condemns attack
• 3rd attack in past 11 days
• Div Com, DC Srinagar visit SKIMS
Irfan Yattoo
Srinagar, Oct 20: A doctor among 7 other workers were killed and 5 others were injured after terrorists opened indiscriminate fire near a tunnel-construction site along Srinagar-Leh national highway in Gagangeer, area of Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district on Sunday, officials said.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir, Vidhi Kumar Birdi, told Rising Kashmir that 7 persons, including a doctor, were killed in brutal terrorist attack at a construction site near Z-morh tunnel in Ganderbal.
“Five others injured; victims include local & non-local workers. 2 terrorists were involved in the incident. The entire area is cordoned off, he said.
“All injured staff and laborers were immediately shifted to the hospital after being fired upon by terrorists. The attack occurred near densely forested area, and security forces quickly responded, cordoning off the location,” he said.
Following the deadly attack, top security officials including Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat and Inspector General of Police Kashmir reached the spot to assess the situation.The area has been cordoned off by security forces.
Another senior police officer that all of victims were working for the IFFCO company in the area. It is the biggest terror attack in the district since the 1990’s, he said.
“We have cordoned off the entire area and alert has been sounded in all nearby areas to trace the terrorists including borders of Ladakh UT. The search operation is going on. More reinforcements have been rushed towards the terror incident site,” he said.
Director SKIMS, Dr. Mohammad Ashraf Ganie told Rising Kashmir that they have received 5 injured persons including staff and labourers from Gagangeer, Sonamarg.
“One among them is critical and is being operated on. He is for battling life and death. The 4 other persons are stable, out of danger, he said.
The deceased have been identified as Dr Shahnawaz R/O Nayidgam Budgam Kashmir, Gurmeet Singh S/O Dharam Singh R/O Gurdaspur Punjab, Mohammad Haneef (Tahir & Sons) Bihar, Anil Kumar Shukla, Madhya Pradesh, (Mechanical Manager), Faheem Nasir, Bihar (Safety Manager), Mohammad Kaleem (Tahir & Sons), Bihar and Shashi Abrol, Designer, Jammu.
The five injured admitted at SKIMS identified as Inder Yadav Age 35 Years S/O Gareeb Dass R/O Bihar, Mohan Lal S/O Soum Nath R/O Kuthua, Mushtaq Ahmad Lone Years S/O Zahoor Ahmad R/O Preng, Kangan, Ishfaq Ahmad Bhat S/O Abdul Ahad Bhat R/O Safapora and Jagtar Singh R/0 Kathua.
Post tragic incident of Gagangeer Sonmarg; Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar Bidhuri and Deputy Commissioner (DC) Srinagar, Dr Bilal Mohi-Ud-Din Bhat reached SKIMS, Soura and interacted with the injured victims.
Meanwhile 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 terrorists in the last decade.
According to injured at SKIMS that both labourers and staff members were have a dinner, when the deadly attack took place.
“Two men came, snapped the electricity and opened fire at the camp. They fired indiscriminately for several minutes. There was hue and cry. Both fled towards the nearby dense forests,” they said.
Earlier on Oct 18, the bullet-riddled body of a labourer hailing from Bihar was recovered from Wachi Zainapora area of south Kashmir’s Shopian district.
The labourer identified as Ashok Chauhan was living in Sangam area of Anantnag. He was from the Banka district of Bihar. His body had 3 to 4 bullet marks.
This was the 2nd terrorist attack on non-local labourers in the Valley after the civilian government led by Omar Abdullah assumed charge in Jammu and Kashmir on October 16.
On Oct 10, security forces recovered the bullet-ridden body of a Territorial Army (TA) soldier, who was abducted alongwith another soldier by terrorists in Anantnag district.
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