NIA begins Kashmir attack probe; militants remain untraced

Security agencies have launched a manhunt for terrorists; Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha blamed Pakistan for the recent attacks

Militants who killed seven civilians and injured five others and set vehicles on fire on Sunday at the campsite of a private construction company in Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir are yet to be traced. A team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday began the probe into the brutal killings. Security agencies have launched a manhunt for the terrorists.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha blamed Pakistan for the recent attacks saying the neighbouring country was frustrated by the successful and peaceful elections in Jammu and Kashmir, and people expressing their faith in democracy.

Mr. Sinha said security forces and the police had been given instructions and full freedom to track down and eliminate the perpetrators.

“I want to assure the people of Jammu and Kashmir, and the country, that we will soon track down these elements and punish them severely,” he said.

A statement attributed to The Resistance Front (TRT), an offshoot of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) outfit, claimed responsibility for the attack. However, the police have not confirmed the veracity of the purported statement. TRT claimed that its men “targeted a construction site where a billion-dollar tunnel project primarily intended for military transportation is underway”.

Official sources said the targeted killings of non-locals “apparently seems very well planned”. Automatic rifles like INSAS were used to target the campsite in Ganderbal’s Gagangeer area.

Preliminary investigation suggested that at least two vehicles of the company were set on fire on Sunday by the heavily armed militants who stormed the camp site of the APCO Infratech company, which is engaged in tunnel work from Gagangeer to Sonamarg in Ganderbal district. The tunnel is a key project to have an all-weather road between Srinagar and Ladakh, which otherwise remains cut off during peak winter seasons.

Shattered dreams

The attack left seven construction workers, including technicians and a doctor, dead. Hundreds of locals participated in the last rites of Dr. Shahnawaz Dar, a resident of Budgam district. The killing has left the family shattered. “He was our lone bread earner. He wanted to see me as an IAS officer. All our dreams have shattered,” Mohsin Dar, son of the deceased doctor, said. The victim’s daughter was married off recently. Locals and relatives of the victims demanded action against the attackers.

Mr. Sinha announced a relief of ₹6 lakh to the kin of the victims. An ex gratia of ₹2 lakh will be provided to the injured.

Those injured in the attack included Inder Yadav, a labourer from Bihar; Madan Lal, an electrician from Kathua, Jammu; Mushtaq Ahmad Lone, a mess helper from Preng, Kangan, Kashmir; Ishfaq Ahmad Bhat, a driver from Safapora, Ganderbal; and Jagtar Singh, a labourer from Kathua, Jammu.

Separatist Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq condemned the killings. “Islam strongly deplores such inhuman acts. Every life is precious, and to lose lives in this manner is extremely painful. The incident is a grim reminder of the unending cycle of violence and uncertainty that the people of the region have endured for decades,” the Mirwaiz said.

(With PTI inputs)

Published - October 21, 2024 09:47 pm IST