Srinagar, Aug 01: The death toll in the terrorist attack on migrant workers in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district climbed to two on Saturday, with the second labourer, critically wounded in the attack, succumbing to his injuries at SKIMS Soura.
Terrorists attacked two non-local workers at a brick-kiln in the Kelam area of Kulgam district late on Friday evening, leaving one dead on the spot and another seriously wounded. The slain labourer was identified as Deepak of Chhattisgarh, while the injured—Bhupinder, also from Chhattisgarh—was initially referred to GMC Anantnag and later shifted to SKIMS Soura, where he died in the early hours of Saturday.
Hospital sources at SKIMS confirmed that Bhupinder, who had been battling critical gunshot injuries since Friday’s attack, died despite the best efforts of the medical team. His death has now raised the toll in the attack to two.
The incident has sent shockwaves across J&K, with political leaders and civil society strongly condemning the killing of two labourers. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah described the attack as a cowardly act and reaffirmed their commitment to eliminating terrorism.
Meanwhile, a massive search operation is underway across the forested and adjoining areas of Kulgam district, with security forces deploying additional personnel to track down the attackers. Multiple checkpoints have been established, and searches are being conducted to prevent the terrorists from escaping.
The Kulgam attack marks the second major terrorist strike in south Kashmir within ten days. On July 22, terrorists shot dead Head Constable Ashiq Hussain Qureshi of the J&K Police in the Anantnag district. Police have registered a case, and investigations are underway as security agencies intensify efforts to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
