Srinagar, Aug 1: The second brick kiln worker from Chhattisgarh who was critically injured in Friday’s terror attack in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district succumbed to his injuries at Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Srinagar, on Saturday morning, taking the death toll in the incident to two.
The deceased, identified as Bhupinder Kumar, had suffered critical injuries after terrorists opened fire at point-blank range on two migrant labourers in Kilam village of Kulgam district on Friday evening.
The other victim, Deepak, died on the spot. Bhupinder was initially shifted to Government Medical College (GMC), Anantnag, where he underwent emergency surgery before being referred to SKIMS Srinagar for specialised treatment.
However, he succumbed to his injuries on Saturday morning despite doctors’ efforts. The bodies were brought to the Police Control Room (PCR), Kashmir, where medico-legal formalities, including postmortem examinations, were conducted before the last rites were performed at Kilam village.
Soon after the attack, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha condemned the killing and directed security forces to intensify anti-terror operations.
“I’ve directed the security forces to step up anti-terror operations and ensure the terrorists involved in this cowardly attack are neutralised at the earliest,” the LG said.
Security forces on Saturday continued a massive search and combing operation in Kilam and adjoining areas to track down the attackers. The operation was further intensified following Bhupinder’s death, with additional reinforcements deployed to seal possible escape routes. Area domination patrols, surveillance and searches were expanded across vulnerable locations in south Kashmir. Officials said the operation would continue until the perpetrators are brought to justice.
The attack has triggered heightened security measures across Kashmir, with additional checkpoints, intensified frisking and speculative Cordon and Search Operations (CASOs) being conducted at several locations.
Security agencies have also stepped up surveillance of suspected overground workers and other elements considered inimical to peace.
Friday’s attack was the second terror incident in south Kashmir in around 10 days and the first targeted killing of migrant workers in the Valley since October 2024. On July 22, a policeman attached to the Special Operations Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir Police was shot dead by terrorists in Anantnag town. The killing has once again brought into focus the vulnerability of migrant workers in Kashmir.
Over the past six years, more than 25 migrant labourers have been killed in targeted terror attacks across the Valley. The previous such attack took place on October 18, 2024, when terrorists shot dead Ashok Chauhan, a 30-year-old labourer from Bihar.
Two days later, terrorists struck the Z-Morh tunnel construction camp along the Srinagar-Leh National Highway, killing six migrant workers and a local doctor in one of the deadliest attacks on civilians in recent years.
The latest attack drew widespread condemnation from political parties and civil society, with leaders describing the killing of unarmed labourers as a barbaric act aimed at disrupting peace and instilling fear among civilians.
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