Two labourers from Chhattisgarh were killed in a terrorist attack at a brick kiln in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district, officials confirmed on Saturday. The attack in the Kelam area of south Kashmir has once again raised fears for the safety of migrant workers working in the Valley and triggered a big security operation to track down the perpetrators.
The terrorists targeted the labourers late on Friday evening when they were working at or near a brick kiln in the area, officials said. The attackers opened fire on the workers and left both of them critically wounded. The victims were immediately rushed for medical treatment, but doctors were still unable to save them from their injuries.
Deepak Ratray, one of the victims, died before he could be shifted to a hospital. The second labourer, Bopinder, was initially admitted to the Government Medical College (GMC) Hospital in Anantnag and due to his injuries, he was referred to the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) in Soura for treatment. But he died of his injuries while being treated.
Both victims were in their twenties and were Chhattisgarh-based, officials said. They had travelled to Jammu and Kashmir for work and were at the brick kiln when they were attacked. The incident has sent shockwaves through the migrant worker community in the region and has received widespread condemnation from political leaders and security officials.
Following the attack, security forces have been conducting a wide-ranging search operation in and around Kelam. Police, army, and paramilitary forces have cordoned off the area and intensified combing operations to catch and arrest those responsible. Checkpoints have been beefed up, and surveillance in the area and in areas next to it has been increased as part of the manhunt.
The attack came less than ten days after another attack in which terrorists allegedly shot and killed a police officer in Anantnag town. Security experts say the back-to-back incidents show the repeated efforts by terrorist groups to instil fear in the residents and ruin peace in the region.
Attacks targeting non-local workers have become a recurring security problem in Jammu and Kashmir in the last few years. Migrant labourers from various states including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, West Bengal, and Chhattisgarh are contributing to construction, manufacturing, agriculture, and infrastructure across the Union Territory.
And it is also sad to hear about these attacks on non-local workers. In February 2024, two Punjab workers, Amritpal Singh and Rohit Masih, were shot dead in the Shaheed Gunj area of Srinagar by a terrorist. Similar attacks have been reported regularly, and the authorities have beefed up security in camps and workplaces that employ migrant workers for a variety of purposes.
Political leaders alike have condemned the Kulgam attack and offered their condolences to the families of the killed. Some leaders said that it was a cowardly act at the expense of the people of the Valley and the rest of the people.
Security agencies have emphasised that the perpetrators will be brought to justice and that efforts to eradicate terrorism from the region are ongoing. The investigators are collecting evidence from the site of the attack, and forensic evidence is being assessed in forensic and intelligence files to find out the identity and locations of the attackers.
The killings once again underscore the problem that security forces are facing for civilians, especially migrant workers who live and work in remote areas. It’s a problem that police are trying to prevent, and the public should be vigilant and cooperate with them as the investigation is ongoing, they say.
Deepak Ratray and Bopinder’s deaths serve as an example of the security challenges in Jammu and Kashmir and the human cost of terrorism to the people and the nation.
