Kulgam,October 29: Six labourers were killed by terrorists in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district, about 70 km from state capital Srinagar, on Tuesday evening. The shooting is part of a string of attacks targeting civilians hailing from outside Kashmir over the last fortnight.
Information about the deaths came soon after reports of a seventh person, also a labourer, emerged. Zahuruddin, a daily wager from West Bengal, was in his rented residence in Kulgam’s Katrasoo village when terrorists barged into his house and shot at him. The bullet hit his leg and admitted to a hospital, according to news agency PTI.
In a tweet, Kashmir Police confirmed the death of five civilians.
‘Police is on the spot. Information is preliminary in nature,’ the police tweeted.
Soon after, local police officers confirmed that the toll had gone up to six.
A police officer said the six labourers who were killed were also from West Bengal.
Initial reports indicate the attack was carried out by three to four terrorists in Kulgam districts Karasoo area. Security personnel of the CRPF, Central Reserve Police Force, and the Kashmir police’s quick reaction teams rushed to the stop to track down the terrorists.
The attacks took place on a day a delegation of parliamentarians from the European Union is visiting Kashmir, the first group of lawmakers from India or abroad to travel to the state after Centre ended the state’s special status in August this year.
On Monday, a trucker from Udhampur district – the fourth since August 5 – was killed by terrorists in Anantnag.
On October 24, terrorists killed two non-Kashmiri truck drivers in Shopian district.
On October 14, two terrorists, including a suspected Pakistani national, shot dead the driver of a truck having Rajasthan registration number and assaulted an orchard owner in Shopian district. The driver was identified as Sharief Khan.