Militants open fire at two migrants from UP in J&K; fifth attack in a fortnight

Two migrant workers were shot at by suspected militants in the Magam area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Budgam district Friday evening. Both are undergoing treatment at a nearby hospital and are in stable condition.

The two workers were identified as 20-year-old Usman Malik and 25-year-old Sofiyan, both from Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh. Sources said the Magam area, in central Kashmir, has been cordoned off.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah expressed deep sorrow over the attack and strongly condemned the act of violence, the party said.

The Valley has seen a number of attacks against migrant workers in recent weeks.

Seven people, six of whom were from outside Kashmir, were killed on October 20 when militants opened fire at a camp for employees of a construction company that was building a tunnel near Sonamarg in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district.

On October 18, a migrant worker was killed by militants in Zainapora village of south Kashmir’s Shopian district. And, on October 24 morning, a migrant non-local worker was shot at and injured by militants at Batagund village of Tral in south Kashmir.

On October 24 evening, there was also a militant attack targeting an Army vehicle, in which two soldiers and two civilian porters were killed.

Friday’s is the fifth militant attack since the Union Territory of J&K got its first elected government on October 16.

Reacting to the Budgam attack, Srinagar MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi of the National Conference said, “Saddened by the news of the terrorist attack on the civilians… My sympathies and prayers are with the victims and their families. The BJP regime (at the Centre), which is directly in control of security in J&K, should be held accountable for these repeated failures. Also want to ask — why this sudden rise in these attacks immediately after the recent elections?”

J&K Pradesh Congress Committee chief Tariq Hameed Karra said the attack was “most unfortunate and highly condemnable”. He urged the government to take effective measures to contain such “inhuman, shameful and cowardice acts”.