The terror attack at Jammu and Kashmir's Ganderbal on Sunday evening was totally unexpected for law enforcement and local people alike as it happened in a region that witnessed little or no presence of terrorists in the last decade.
The terrorists struck a labour camp at the Z-Morh tunnel construction site at Gagangir in Ganderbal district near Sonamarg. The campsite was near a densely forested area and the terrorists are suspected to have sneaked in, carried out the attack and retreated back to the forest.
Security officers responded and cordoned off the whole area immediately. The search is still going on.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir, Vidhi Kumar Birdi, told reporters that two terrorists were involved in the attack, billed as one of the biggest in the district since the 1990s.
The attack happened after the labourers and other staff working on the tunnel project returned to their camp late in the evening. Injured labourers, who are undergoing treatment at SKIMS, said they were having dinner when the gunmen barged into the camp.
" Two men came, snapped the electricity and opened fire at the camp. They fired indiscriminately for several minutes. There was a hue and cry. Both fled towards the nearby dense forests," the injured men told Rising Kashmir.
Meanwhile, the family and friends mourned the death of Dr Shahnawaz Qadir Dar from Budgam who was killed in the terror attack. His relatives described him as a role model and someone with a great understanding of religion.
“It felt like doomsday when we heard about his death, there is mourning in the whole village, every eye is moist today,” his cousin told Greater Kashmir.
Dar's son said his father had resolved that he would do everything he could to make me an IAS officer. "But after hearing yesterday’s news, my dreams have been shattered. I have to take care of myself and my family as well. I urge the administration to help me achieve my dream," he added.