2 migrant workers from Chhattisgarh killed in terror attack in J&K’s Kulgam

Mangalore Today News Network

Jammu, Aug 1, 2026: Two migrant labourers from Chhattisgarh were killed after terrorists opened fire on them at a brick kiln in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Friday evening, with one dying on the spot and the other succumbing to his injuries hours later on Saturday.

Officials told India Today that the terrorists targeted two non-local labourers working at the brick kiln in Kellam before fleeing the scene. The victims were identified as Deepak and Bhopinder, both residents of Chhattisgarh.

Deepak died at the scene, while Bhopinder, who sustained critical injuries, was initially rushed to a local hospital and later referred to Government Medical College (GMC), Anantnag, where he succumbed to his injuries on Saturday.

The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), claimed responsibility for the terror attack. The outfit has also claimed responsibility for the July 22 shoot-and-scoot attack that killed a police officer in Anantnag and the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 last year.

Following the attack, security forces rushed to the spot, cordoned off the area, and launched a search operation to track down the attackers.

The attack comes less than ten days after terrorists shot dead a police officer in Anantnag town.

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha condemned the terror attack and said he had spoken to Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat and other senior security officials following the incident.

"I strongly condemn this cowardly act. I have directed our security forces to step up their operations and eliminate the terrorists," Sinha said in a post on X.

He said the Jammu and Kashmir Police and security forces had cordoned off the area and launched an operation to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Sinha also said the injured labourer from Chhattisgarh had been rushed to the hospital for urgent medical care. He expressed condolences to the bereaved family and wished the injured labourer a speedy recovery.

Political parties also condemned the attack. PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti described the attack as "unimaginably cruel" and condemned the killing of the labourers, saying they had travelled far from home only to earn a livelihood for their families.

Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari termed the attack "tragic and inhuman". He said those responsible must be brought to justice and expressed solidarity with the victims’ families while praying for the recovery of the injured labourer.

The People’s Conference also condemned the attack, calling the targeting of innocent civilians "utterly reprehensible" and extending condolences to the family of the deceased while wishing the injured worker a swift recovery.