Ganderbal attack: Latest in a series of migrant worker killings in Jammu-Kashmir

“Terrorists took my father’s life,” said the daughter of one of the victims killed in the Ganderbal attack.

The Ganderbal attack in Jammu and Kashmir has shattered families, claiming seven innocent lives in a brutal act of terror. The victims, including both local and migrant workers, had just finished their day’s work when militants opened fire without mercy.

This attack, carried out by The Resistance Front (TRF), linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, is part of a disturbing rise in violence targeting migrant workers in Kashmir. These workers, many from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal, come to the region to build roads, work in construction, and support Kashmir’s infrastructure, yet they continue to be singled out by militants.

Over the past five years, from the Kulgam killings in 2019 to the Shopian attack in 2022, migrant workers have faced increasing threats. Despite their critical role in building over 21,000 kilometres of roads in Kashmir between 2020 and 2023, their lives remain under constant threat. Another migrant worker reflects the fear sweeping the community, asking, “Why come here if you’ll just get killed, trapped, or caught in violence?”

This latest attack is part of a tragic pattern of violence that leaves migrant workers questioning whether their search for livelihood in Kashmir is worth the risk. Watch the video to know more.