2 ultras came, sprayed bullets on workers

On a quiet Sunday evening, residents of Gagangeer village, located close to the famous tourist destination Sonamarg in central Kashmir, heard the sounds of gunshots that most took for bursting of crackers inside the base camp of Apco Infratech, a company that recently completed the construction of the Z-Morh tunnel.

The shocking truth soon dawned on them as several labourers ran in panic towards the main road — the camp was under attack by militants and seven persons, including a doctor, had been gunned down.

• Editorial: Ganderbal shocker

Sources said two militants appeared to be involved in the attack and both were heavily armed. “The attackers had covered their faces with shawls. They went on spraying bullets at the workers at five different places inside the camp,” said an official.

Recalling the distressing moment, Ali Mohammed, a local resident, said, “At first, we thought it was just crackers going off. But when we saw people running out from the camp, we realised something terrible had happened. The firing continued for some time, following which the security forces arrived and took charge of the area.”

All the victims were employees of the private infrastructure company, which constructed the tunnel on the Srinagar-Leh highway. Incidentally, it was the first time militants had targeted the employees of an infrastructure project in the Valley.

Of those killed, five were from outside Jammu and Kashmir. Five persons were injured and had been admitted to a Srinagar hospital, said an official. A day after the attack, a massive search operation is underway and the security has been tightened at the company’s base camp. A CRPF camp too is located nearby. An NIA team has reached the site and taken over the probe.

And in Gagangeer, it’s a shock for the locals. They told The Tribune Ganderbal had remained peaceful even as neighbouring Kashmir districts witnessed heightened militant activities. They said the militants may have escaped through the adjoining dense forest and mountains.

A local worker said as the tunnel was almost ready, it was likely to be inaugurated by the month-end. “A majority of the workers had already left. After the attack, the security forces have taken over the base camp and no one is allowed inside,” he said. A security guard said one of his colleagues was injured.

Gurdaspur man among victims

Gurdaspur, October 21

Gurmeet Singh (47), hailing from Sakhowal village in Gurdaspur district, was among the seven persons gunned down by militants in Ganderbal district of J&K on Sunday night. A doctor and six workers were killed when the terrorists opened fire at a camp housing workers of a private company.

Gurmeet had been working in the company for the past two decades. His father Dharam Singh had retired from the Army about 15 years ago. The deceased’s family is on the way to the site to bring Gurmeet’s body. — TNS