J&K terror attacks leave three dead: Two Chhattisgarh workers, one cop among victims

Srinagar: Three people have lost their lives in two separate terror attacks across Jammu and Kashmir within just 10 days, raising fresh concerns over the security situation in the Valley despite heightened vigilance following the Pahalgam terror attack earlier this year.

The latest strike unfolded late on Friday at a brick kiln in the Kelam area of Kulgam district, where terrorists opened fire on two migrant labourers from Chhattisgarh. Both workers sustained critical injuries.

The second labourer, Bopinder, was initially admitted to Government Medical College (GMC), Anantnag, before being referred to SKIMS Hospital in Soura, where he later succumbed to his injuries. Both victims were in their twenties.

The Kulgam attack came less than 10 days after terrorists shot dead Head Constable Aashiq Hussain Qureshi in Anantnag town, marking the first terror attack in the Valley since the April 2025 Pahalgam massacre that claimed 26 civilian lives.

Qureshi, a head constable of the IR 3rd Battalion and a resident of Beerwah in Budgam district, was attacked at around 12.30 pm on July 22 at Lal Chowk in Anantnag.

He was deployed on Amarnath Yatra security duty when terrorists opened fire. Following the attack, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Kumar Sinha condemned the killing.

Calling it a 'cowardly terror attack', Sinha had said, 'This heinous act will not go unpunished. J&K Police and our security forces are on the ground and will bring those responsible to justice.'

The back-to-back attacks have once again put the spotlight on the security environment in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly after the Centre stepped up anti-terror operations following the Pahalgam killings.

The attacks also underscore the continued vulnerability of both security personnel and civilians, including migrant workers, to targeted terror strikes.