Srinagar: Five non-Kashmiri labourers were shot dead by suspected militants in Katroosu village of south Kashmir’s militant-hit Kulgam region Tuesday evening. The incident occurred hours after a team of European parliamentarians landed in Jammu and Kashmir on a two-day visit.
A senior police officer said one more labourer, who was injured in the shooting, was being transported to Anantnag district hospital. The injured labourer is said to be from West Bengal.
“The injured labourer was being brought to the hospital. However, we have no latest updates about him. We suspect that he might have succumbed to his injuries too,” the officer said, adding that the initial intelligence report received by the police said seven labourers had been killed.
However, until now, ThePrint has managed to confirm the deaths of five labourers.
Also read: ‘Hizbul-Lashkar team killing non-Kashmiris also had plan to cut Valley power supply’
Spate of incidents
This incident has taken the total number of non-Kashmiris killed in the Valley since 14 October to 11.
It all started with the killing of a truck driver from Rajasthan, Sharief Khan, on 14 October, the same day mobile connectivity was restored in the Valley after over two months.
Two people were killed in as many attacks 48 hours later — a brick kiln worker named S.K. Sagar from Chhattisgarh and fruit trader Charanjeet Singh from Punjab.
Last week, two truckers were killed and another injured when militants attacked three fruit-laden trucks in Shopian.
The attacks, it is suspects, have been carried out by a team of Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Taiba militants looking to create terror in Kashmir and India at large over the scrapping of Article 370.
Also read: Lunch with Army, empty shikaras & shut shops — EU MPs’ first day in Kashmi