SRINAGAR, India — In a tragic incident, gunmen shot and killed a minimum of seven individuals working on a strategic tunnel project in the Indian-administered region of Kashmir while wounding at least five others, according to officials on Monday.
Authorities have attributed the attack to militants opposing Indian governance, designating it a “terror attack” that occurred at a workers’ camp near the popular tourist destination of Sonamarg.
Two assailants reportedly opened fire indiscriminately at both officials and laborers associated with the construction project, resulting in two fatalities immediately. Following the onslaught, ten individuals were transported to hospitals, where five succumbed to their injuries. The assault took place shortly after laborers returned to their accommodations late Sunday night. Details about the attack remain sparse and await verification from independent sources.
Among the deceased were five workers from outside the region, along with one Kashmiri laborer and a local doctor. In response, law enforcement, supported by military personnel, initiated search efforts in the vicinity to locate the perpetrators.
The region’s prominent elected leader, Omar Abdullah, expressed his outrage over the incident on the social media platform X, condemning it as “dastardly & cowardly.”
Currently, hundreds of domestic laborers are engaged in the ambitious tunnel project, which aims to create a link between the Kashmir Valley and the remote Ladakh region, known for being isolated during substantial snowfall for half the year. Military experts have stated that this tunnel is crucial for improving India’s operational capabilities in Ladakh.
The region holds strategic significance, sharing informal borders with both Pakistan and China, where military tensions have been rife. Since 2020, Indian and Chinese military personnel have faced off, with both nations amassing extensive forces equipped with artillery, tanks, and aircraft.
This recent attack is the second assault on non-local workers in the area since the local government, largely lacking real authority, took office Wednesday, marking the first local elections after the Indian government revoked the region’s semi-autonomous status five years prior.
On Friday, authorities recovered the body of another worker from Bihar, who was shot multiple times, in a maize field located in southern Shopian district, with militants being blamed for the murder.
Kashmir has seen a rise in violence targeting workers from outside the region since 2021, including killings of local Muslim leaders, police personnel, and civilians, which have been attributed to anti-India extremists.
India and Pakistan both lay claim to the entirety of Kashmir, although each country administers specific areas. The nuclear-capable nations have engaged in two of their three conflicts over this territory since gaining independence from British rule in 1947.
Militant groups in the Indian-administered area of Kashmir have contested New Delhi’s authority since 1989, with a significant portion of the Muslim population in Kashmir supporting the rebels’ aspirations for either Pakistani governance or complete independence.
India maintains that the insurgency in Kashmir is fueled by terrorism supported by Pakistan, a claim that Pakistan disputes, while numerous Kashmiris perceive it as a legitimate struggle for freedom. The prolonged conflict has resulted in the deaths of thousands of civilians, rebels, and government forces alike.