Militants kill seven, including 6 migrant workers, in India's Kashmir
At least six migrant workers and a doctor were shot dead in India's Kashmir region on Sunday night when militants opened fire near a tunnel construction site, officials said, days after a new government was formed in the territory.
Earlier this month, an opposition alliance assumed power in Kashmir after winning its first elections in a decade. These were the first elections held since the region's special status was revoked and it was divided into two federally administered territories—Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
The victims of the attack were involved in constructing tunnels to provide all-weather access to Ladakh, a region that holds military importance due to its borders with China and Pakistan.
A senior police officer, speaking anonymously, reported that 'at least two armed militants entered the mess hall of a private construction company and opened fire on workers who were dining at the time.'
Six workers and a doctor were killed, and five others were injured during the attack, the officer added.
India's Interior Minister, Amit Shah, condemned the violence, calling it a 'despicable act of cowardice.' He vowed that those responsible for the attack would be held accountable and face severe consequences from security forces, stating this in a post on X.
The Kashmir region has long been a contentious area, claimed by both India and Pakistan. Militants in the Indian-administered part of Kashmir have waged a decades-long insurgency against Indian security forces, resulting in thousands of deaths.
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