NEW DELHI: The death toll from the terror attack on migrant labourers in Kulgam, Jammu and Kashmir, rose to two on Saturday after a worker from Chhattisgarh succumbed to injuries in a hospital. This information was confirmed by officials speaking with the news agency PTI.
The incident occurred late Friday night in the Kelam area of south Kashmir, where both men were working at a local brick kiln. Officials reported that the two labourers sustained critical injuries when terrorists opened fire on them.
One of the victims, identified as Deepak Ratray, unfortunately passed away before he could be transported to the hospital. The second victim, Bopinder, was initially taken to Government Medical College (GMC) Anantnag but was later referred to SKIMS Hospital in Soura, where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
Both men were in their twenties and had migrated from Chhattisgarh in search of employment opportunities. This attack has reignited concerns regarding the safety of migrant workers in the region, following a recent surge in violence.
Just days before this attack, on July 22, terrorists shot and killed Jammu and Kashmir Police head constable Ashiq Hussain Qureshi in Anantnag’s Lal Chowk while he was on duty for the Amarnath Yatra. This marked the first terror strike in Kashmir since the Pahalgam massacre on April 22, 2025, which claimed the lives of 26 individuals.
The ongoing violence has raised alarms about the safety of non-local workers. In February 2024, two labourers from Punjab were murdered in Srinagar, followed by the killings of two workers from Bihar in Kulgam in October 2021.
Reactions to the Attack
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha condemned the assault, stating that security forces have been directed to intensify anti-terror operations. “I strongly condemn this cowardly act. I have instructed our security forces to heighten their operations and eliminate the terrorists,” Sinha posted on X, adding that he had communicated with DGP Nalin Prabhat and other high-ranking security officials.
PDP President and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti also expressed her outrage, stating, “They work themselves to the bone far away from home only to feed their families. Unimaginably cruel to target them in such senseless acts of violence.”
BJP’s Jammu and Kashmir spokesperson Altaf Thakur described the attack as “cowardly, barbaric and inhuman,” alleging that its goal was to disrupt peace and normalcy in the Union Territory.
This attack coincided with the ongoing Amarnath Yatra, which commenced on July 3. Although the Pahalgam route for the pilgrimage has been suspended since July 19 due to severe rain and landslides, the Baltal route in Ganderbal remains operational.
In response to the attack, security forces have initiated a cordon-and-search operation in the area to apprehend those responsible.
