Uttar Pradesh Labourer Shot in Kashmir’s Tral Area Amid Rising Attacks on Non-Local Workers

A labourer from Uttar Pradesh was shot and injured by terrorists on Thursday in the Tral area of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district, marking the third attack on non-local workers in the region within a week.

The victim, identified as Shubam Kumar from Bijnore, sustained a gunshot wound to the arm when terrorists opened fire at him in Batagund village. He was promptly taken to a hospital for treatment, and his condition is reported to be stable.

This incident follows a series of deadly assaults on non-local labourers in Kashmir. On Sunday, six non-local workers and a local doctor were killed in a terror attack at a construction site in Ganderbal district. CCTV footage showed two terrorists, armed with an American-made M4 carbine and an AK-47, spending seven minutes at the workers’ camp before the attack occurred on October 20.

The victims were employed by APCO Infratech, which is involved in constructing the Z-Morh tunnel on the Srinagar-Sonamarg highway. The attack, which took place around 7:25 PM, occurred while some workers were in the dining area and others were heading for dinner. The camp is situated near a tunnel approach road, bordered by barren mountains and the Srinagar-Leh national highway.

This recent attack is the deadliest on civilians in Jammu and Kashmir since the tragic June 9 incident in Reasi, where nine pilgrims were killed after their bus came under gunfire and plunged into a valley.

On October 18, another non-local labourer, Ashok Kumar Chavan from Bihar, was shot dead by terrorists in Shopian district. His body was discovered in the Wachi area of Zainpora, with four bullet wounds. This was the first targeted killing in the Valley since the civilian government took charge under Omar Abdullah on October 16.