SRINAGAR: A visiting delegation of parliamentarians from the European Union got a chilling message from terrorists as the latter shot dead five migrant labourers in Kulgam district of South Kashmir. Another labourer was critically injured. All six hailed from Murshidabad district in West Bengal, the police said.
The labourers were at home when the terrorists barged in around 8 pm and opened fire. The victims were identified as Mursaleen, Qamar-u-din, Rafiq, Nizam-ud-Din and Rafiq Sheikh.
This was the seventh terror attack on non-locals, including truck drivers, traders and labourers, ever since the reading down of Article 370 and bifurcation of J&K on August 5. It was also an indication of how the situation could quickly worsen when full normalcy is restored in the Valley.
On October 28, militants shot dead a truck driver in Reasi, which is in Bijbehara area of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district. On October 23, militants shot dead two non-local truck drivers and injured another in an attack on fruit laden trucks in Shopian district.
Earlier, on October 16, a fruit trader from Punjab and a labourer from Chhattisgarh were shot dead by terrorists in south Kashmir.