A second worker injured in a targeted terrorist attack at a brick kiln in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district passed away during treatment on Saturday. Terrorists opened fire on laborers working at the facility in the Kelam area of South Kashmir on Friday late evening. While one laborer died on Friday before reaching the hospital, the second injured worker was battling for life at a tertiary medical centre until he succumbed to his injuries on Saturday morning. With this, the death toll from the Kulgam terror attack has risen to two. Both deceased workers hailed from Chhattisgarh.
Second Victim Succumbs During Treatment
According to official reports, the armed attackers stormed the brick kiln located in the Kelam sector late Friday evening and targeted the workers stationed there. Two laborers sustained gunshot wounds during the firing. One of the victims, identified as Deepak Ratre, died before he could be brought to a hospital. The second critically injured laborer, Bopinder, was initially rushed to the Government Medical College (GMC) in Anantnag. As his condition deteriorated, medical staff referred him to the SKIMS Hospital in Soura, Srinagar, where he breathed his last on Saturday despite efforts by doctors.
Targeted Attack Based on Identity
Officials stated that both victims were in the age bracket of 20 to 30 years and had moved to the Kashmir valley from Chhattisgarh to earn a livelihood. Investigations revealed that the terrorist questioned the laborers about their religion, separated them from others, and shot them at close range. The selective attack has sparked fear among non-local workers in the area, prompting security forces to cordon off the surroundings and launch an extensive search operation to trace the assailant.
Lashkar-e-Taiba Terrorist Identified
Security authorities have blamed the banned militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba for orchestrating the incident. Officials identified the terrorist responsible for executing the attack as Lateef, a operative associated with the outfit. This shooting marks the third killing by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir within a span of 10 days. Approximately 10 days prior to the Kulgam incident, terrorists had shot dead a police officer in Anantnag city, highlighting a renewed surge in targeted violence.
Pattern of Attacks on Non-Local Workers
The targeting of migrant laborers from other Indian states has been a persistent concern in the Kashmir region. In a similar incident in 2024, terrorists killed two non-local workers in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir. On February 7, 2024, two laborers from Punjab, named Amritpal Singh and Rohit Masih, were shot dead by a terrorist in the Shaheed Ganj area of Srinagar. The recurrence of such attacks continues to raise critical security concerns for migrant workers employed across industrial and agricultural units in the region.
