According to the reports on Tuesday (22 October), In Jammu and Kashmir, Lt Governor Manoj Sinha reported that two foreign terrorists are believed to have carried out a deadly attack in the Gagangir area. The masked gunmen entered the mess hall of the company constructing the Z-Morh tunnel and opened fire indiscriminately. Seven people were killed, including six non-local workers and a local doctor, while four others were injured.
Initial investigations suggest the attackers infiltrated from the Bandipora area in North Kashmir. Security forces have been instructed to track and neutralize the terrorists. The attack occurred late in the evening when the workers returned to their camp after a day’s work on the tunnel project.
The Pakistan-based terror group ‘The Resistance Front’ (TRF) claimed responsibility for the attack. The targeting of civilian workers involved in a significant infrastructure project, which is vital to the local economy, has drawn widespread condemnation from political leaders across India.
In response, the J&K Lt Governor has sanctioned ex gratia relief for the victims’ families. The private company responsible for the tunnel project, APCO, has also provided financial assistance to the deceased’s next of kin.
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