KULGAM, August 1, 2026 – In a targeted terror attack, two non-local labourers were shot dead by suspected terrorists at a brick kiln in the Kelam area of Kulgam district, Jammu & Kashmir. The incident occurred late Friday evening when the assailants opened fire on the workers before fleeing under the cover of darkness.
The victims have been identified as Deepak and Bhopinder, both residents of Chhattisgarh. According to officials, Deepak succumbed to his injuries at the scene of the attack. Bhopinder, who sustained critical bullet wounds, was initially rushed to a local medical facility and later transferred to the Government Medical College (GMC) Hospital in Anantnag. Despite medical efforts, he succumbed to his injuries on Saturday morning.
The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of the proscribed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), has claimed responsibility for the deadly attack. This incident comes less than ten days after terrorists shot and killed a police officer in Anantnag town.
Following the shooting, a massive joint operation involving the Army, CRPF, and Jammu and Kashmir Police was launched. Security forces cordoned off the Kelam area and initiated intensive door-to-door search operations to track down the perpetrators. Security measures along the Amarnath Yatra route have also been heightened in the wake of the incident.
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha strongly condemned the “cowardly act” and expressed his condolences to the bereaved families. “I have directed our security forces to step up their operations and eliminate the terrorists,” Sinha stated on X (formerly Twitter), confirming he had spoken with the Director General of Police and other senior security officials.
The attack has drawn widespread condemnation from various political factions. PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti described the killings as “unimaginably cruel,” noting that the labourers had traveled far from home merely to earn a livelihood. Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari called the attack “tragic and inhuman,” demanding swift justice, while the People’s Conference labeled the targeting of innocent civilians as “utterly reprehensible.”
Published by True Roots Media Network