by Aiman Fayaz
SRINAGAR: In the dense forests of the Gagangeer Gund area of Ganderbal district, a tragic attack unfolded on Sunday evening at a construction site, resulting in the brutal deaths of seven individuals, including a Kashmiri doctor, a manager, a designer, and an engineer. The victims, employees of an infrastructure company, had returned to their camp after a long day of labour to rest when militants opened fire at the construction site, where they were engaged in tunnel work for the Srinagar-Leh national highway.
Victims Identified
Inspector General of Police VK Birdi, in a media briefing, confirmed that the victims were rushed to the hospital after being shot by militants but sadly succumbed to their injuries. The deceased have been identified as Faheem Nasir from Bihar, Anil Shukhla from Madhya Pradesh, Mohammad Hanif from Bihar, Kaleem from Bihar, Sashi Abrol from Jammu, Gurmeet Singh from Punjab, and Dr Shahnawaz from Budgam, Kashmir.
Personal Stories of the Deceased
Shashi Abrol, an architectural designer, resided in Jammu’s Talab Tillo area and had worked for the construction company APCO in Sonamarg for six years. The news of his death arrived late on Sunday night, coinciding with the moonrise—a sight that signifies the end of the Karwa Chauth fast for millions of Hindu women. Dressed in her festive attire, Ruchi Abrol eagerly awaited a phone call to break her fast for her husband’s long life. Instead, she received the devastating news of his death.
The following morning, Ruchi held their three-year-old daughter, grappling with a mix of anger, sorrow, and confusion. The couple also has a son pursuing an engineering degree. “I spoke to him in the evening. He didn’t mention any threats. I was going to the temple as part of my Karwa Chauth fast, and we had a brief conversation. After I returned, I tried calling him, but he didn’t answer. His phone was switched off after that,” a distraught Ruchi told PTI. Shashi was the family’s sole breadwinner, survived by his wife and two children, and the family is now seeking financial assistance and employment for Ruchi.
Simultaneously, the air was filled with slogans of “Narre-Takbeer Allah hu Akbar” (Allah is the greatest) as thousands gathered to pay their last respects to Dr Shahnawaz, a 52-year-old physician killed in the attack. He had been posted at a tunnel construction site by APCO Infratech. Just two weeks earlier, his home was filled with laughter during his daughter’s wedding, but now, cries of anger and grief reverberated through his Budgam residence, transforming joy into mourning.
Another victim, Gurmeet Singh, 45, hailed from Sakhowal village in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district. He was speaking on the phone with his wife when he was struck by a bullet. Gurmeet’s father, Dharam Singh, recounted, “He was talking to his wife when this incident occurred… He told her that he had been hit by a bullet.” Gurmeet had lived in Kashmir for five years and is survived by his wife, two daughters, a son, and his parents.
Community Reactions
Family members of Shashi Abrol struggled to cope with their grief. Shashi had been with the company for six years. His brother expressed frustration, “He never expressed any fear to us. He didn’t respond to our calls after 6 pm, and this morning we received the news of his death. He was the only breadwinner for his family.”
While two labourers died instantly, the other four, including the doctor, succumbed to their injuries later.
On Monday protests erupted across Kashmir, condemning the killings in Ganderbal district. Demonstrators held candlelight vigils in Pulwama and placards demanding an end to the bloodshed. A large banner reading “Pulwama Stands Against Terrorism” was displayed, while similar protests took place in Kulgam’s Ghanta Ghar.
Investigation Details
The Jammu and Kashmir Police conducted a preliminary investigation and revealed that at least two gunmen opened indiscriminate fire on the APCO workers’ camp in Gagangeer, Ganderbal district. Authorities confirmed that the incident was linked to militancy. A day after the attack, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) dispatched a four-member team, including a senior officer, for forensic analysis.
Officials stated that the attackers were heavily armed and aimed to inflict maximum casualties. “At least two assailants indiscriminately fired at multiple areas of the camp, including the mess. The site was targeted due to its strategic significance,” they noted.
Hours after the attack sent shockwaves across the nation, The Resistance Front (TRF), an affiliate of the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility.
Recent Context
This marks the second attack since Chief Minister Omar Abdullah assumed office after a decade. The shooting in Ganderbal district followed just two days after the bullet-riddled body of a migrant worker from Bihar was found near the Rambiara river in Shopian district. Although no militant group has claimed responsibility for that attack, police labelled it a “terror attack.” The deadliest incident earlier this year occurred on June 9 in Reasi, where nine pilgrims were killed when a bus plunged into a valley under gunfire from terrorists.
Condemnation of the Attack
The incident has garnered widespread condemnation from various political leaders. Home Minister Amit Shah expressed on X that those involved in this horrific attack will not be spared. “The dastardly terror attack on civilians in Gagangir, JK, is an abhorrent act of cowardice. Those responsible will face the full force of our security forces,” he stated.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha also condemned the attack, asserting that the perpetrators would not go unpunished and that security forces have been empowered to respond effectively to such threats. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah characterised the attack as cowardly, extending his concern for the injured labourers, some of whom have been referred to SKIMS in Srinagar for treatment.
Political Responses
The attack elicited swift political condemnation across the board. Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti unequivocally denounced the violence against labourers in Ganderbal, extending her deepest condolences to their families. Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Altaf Thakur described the attack as an indication of frustration among the terrorists, asserting, “This shows their desperation as they have failed to confront security forces.”
JK Pradesh Congress Committee president Tariq Hameed Karra voiced grave concern over the attack by unidentified gunmen, urging the government to implement immediate measures to prevent further brutal attacks on innocent labourers.
In his post on X, newly appointed Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed his sorrow over the incident. “I am deeply saddened by the dastardly and cowardly attack on non-local labourers in Gagangir, Sonamarg. These individuals were engaged in critical infrastructure work in the area. Tragically, two have lost their lives, and several others have been injured in this militant attack. I strongly condemn this attack on unarmed, innocent people and extend my heartfelt condolences to their families.”
National Conference (NC) President Farooq Abdullah, father of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, stated that the recent terrorist attack will not succeed in “creating Pakistan” in Jammu and Kashmir (JK). He firmly asserted, “Kashmir Pakistan nahi banega” (Kashmir will not become Pakistan), emphasising his belief in the resilience of the region against such acts of violence.
On Tuesday, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, visited the residence of the late Dr Shahnawaz in Nayidgam village, Budgam district, Central Kashmir. As per reports, after expressing solidarity with the grieving family, Abdullah assured Dr Shahnawaz’s son that he would personally cover all his education expenses. The MLA for Khan Sahib in Budgam accompanied him during the visit.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha addressed the recent militant attack at the Z-Morh tunnel construction site, where seven people, including a local doctor and six non-local labourers, were killed, and four others were injured. Sinha confirmed that the police and security forces had been granted full authority to track and eliminate the perpetrators, believed to be two masked foreign militants who reportedly infiltrated from the Bandipora area of North Kashmir. He assured the public that efforts to neutralise the attackers were ongoing.
2024 Attacks on Migrant Workers
This year alone, including Sunday’s incident, there have been four attacks targeting civilians from outside the state. A bullet-riddled body of a 37-year-old labourer, Ashok Chauhan, from Bihar, was recovered in Shopian district on October 18. On April 17, another migrant worker from Bihar was killed in the Bijbehara area of Anantnag. Earlier, on February 7, Amritpal Singh, a labourer from Amritsar, was killed in the old city area of Srinagar, and another non-local worker, Rohit Mashi, succumbed to injuries three days later.
After the reports of mass evacuation of non-local labourers surfaced, PDP President Mehbooba Mufti urged both Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and LG Manoj Sinha to prevent the exodus of non-local labourers from Gagangir, the site of the terrorist attack. In a post on X, Mufti expressed concern over reports that local authorities were pressuring labourers to leave the valley. She emphasised that such actions could exacerbate the situation, fuel panic, and send a negative message. Mufti warned that this could potentially provoke hostility against Kashmiris working or studying in other parts of India. She stressed the importance of avoiding hasty decisions that could reverse the recent progress made in restoring peace in Jammu and Kashmir.
Many fear that the attack in Ganderbal will instill an atmosphere of dread among thousands of migrant workers from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal, who depend on employment in Kashmir’s skilled and unskilled sectors, including construction and agriculture.
