Ganesh Kendale
SRINAGAR: A Chinese angle surfaced Monday in a statement by Pakistan-based terrorist outfit People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF) following the mass shooting on the campsite of a tunnel-construction company in Gagangir village of central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district Sunday night that left a doctor and six workers dead. The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of Pakistan-backed Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility for the attack.
In its statement, PAFF praised TRF for what it called a “strategic attack” on workers engaged in building the Z-Morh tunnel. PAFF claimed the attack aimed to disrupt Indian military deployments toward the eastern border, stating it was “against our military interests and those of our Chinese friends”.
While it’s known that China and Pakistan have strategic cooperation, officials said there’s no evidence to support Beijing’s involvement beyond the statement by PAFF. They said the reference to “Chinese friends” is a rhetorical attempt by PAFF to align their goals with China’s interests.
The 6.5km-long tunnel on the Srinagar-Leh highway is a critical infrastructure project designed to provide all-weather connectivity between Kashmir and Ladakh. The tunnel, being constructed by UP-based APCO Infratech, is slated for inauguration in early Nov. Officials said the project’s timeline remains unchanged.
“Military projects in an occupied territory are death traps. Hence, every sane-minded person should avoid them,” PAFF said. However, officials countered that such infrastructure in sensitive regions are dual-use, so characterising the tunnel solely as a military project might be misleading.
TRF claimed its Falcon Squad targeted the construction site, describing the project as one intended primarily for military transportation. It reiterated its warnings to locals and non-locals to avoid working on “illegal projects”. The group expressed regret for civilian casualties but warned of further attacks on similar infrastructure efforts.
According to intelligence officials, the attack was carried out under the orders of TRF chief Sheikh Sajjad Gul, who carries a Rs 10 lakh bounty announced by NIA in 2022. Around 8.15 pm, two to three Pakistani terrorists armed with automatic weapons stormed the campsite, targeting workers who had gathered for dinner in the mess area.
The victims included three workers from Bihar — Faheem Nasir, Mohammad Hanif, and Abdul Kaleem — along with Anil Shukla from Madhya Pradesh, Gurmeet Singh from Punjab, architectural engineer Shashi Bhushan Abrol from Jammu, and Dr Shahnawaz Ahmed Dar from Budgam district in Kashmir.
Widespread condemnation emerged across Kashmir, with rallies and candlelit marches expressing solidarity with the victims’ families. A notable march in Tangmarg, led by the sub-divisional magistrate in collaboration with local associations, saw residents from various backgrounds participate in a peaceful demonstration. Similar events took place in Boniyar and Pulwama, where community leaders like Shoaib Pathan and Mudasir Dar condemned the violence.
Residents of slain physician Shahnawaz Dar’s village in Budgam district shouted slogans against CM Omar Abdullah for not visiting his home to offer his condolences. Ministers Javid Dar and Sakina Itoo visited the family in the evening.
A team from NIA arrived in Gagangir Monday to investigate whether cross-border outfits were directly involved in the attack, marking it as the deadliest terrorist attack in 2024 after the June 9 ambush in Reasi district, which killed nine pilgrims.
Security forces launched a manhunt in the forests surrounding Gagangir to locate the attackers. They are intensifying efforts to secure sensitive projects, especially those with strategic importance along the eastern front.
J&K lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha condemned the attack and vowed retaliation. “Security forces will avenge these deaths and ensure the terrorists pay a heavy price,” he said. Sinha also criticized Pakistan for “persisting in killing innocent people” to disrupt peace in the region.
The LG announced financial aid for the victims’ families, with Rs 6 lakh from the govt and Rs 15 lakh in immediate relief from the construction firm APCO Infratech. Each family will also receive five years of the deceased worker’s salary. Compensation of Rs 2 lakh will also be provided to the wounded.
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar expressed deep sorrow over the deaths of three workers from his state and announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh for each family.
Politicians across the spectrum condemned the attack. National Conference president Farooq Abdullah urged Pakistan to stop targeting civilians if it wished to improve ties with India. “Kashmir will not become Pakistan. Let us live with dignity,” he said. “How can dialogue take place if innocent people continue to be killed?”
Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq also condemned the attack, calling it a “grim reminder of the unending cycle of violence” in Kashmir. “Islam, like all religions, deplores such inhuman behaviour,” he said.
