Political leaders call for measures to prevent terror attacks in Kashmir, urge to beef up security

Jammu, Oct 24: Several political leaders on Thursday condemned the terror attacks in the Kashmir valley since the formation of the new government and urged it to take decisive steps to prevent such incidents and ensure the security of migrant workers.

Terrorists shot at and injured a labourer from Uttar Pradesh, Shubam Kumar, in the Tral area of Pulwama district on Thursday morning, officials said.

This is the third attack on non-local labourers in Kashmir in the past week. Six non-local labourers and a local doctor were killed in a terror attack on a construction site in Ganderbal district on Sunday, while a labourer from Bihar was shot dead by terrorists in Shopian district on October 18.

Former deputy chief minister and senior BJP leader Kavinder Gupta stressed the importance of safeguarding migrant labourers in the Kashmir valley.

He called on the central and Union territory administrations to work diligently to prevent any further deterioration of the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

"Since the formation of the new government, there has been an attempt to disrupt the peace, and those responsible are trying to send a message. In this context, there have been two incidents, and today, another attack took place where a 19-year-old was targeted. This is clearly a planned attack, and even the terrorists involved were seen on CCTV footage," Gupta told reporters.

He expressed full confidence in the security forces and the police, saying: "I believe that we will apprehend those responsible soon. These two or three consecutive incidents are concerning."

Gupta further emphasized that both the central and the Union territory administrations must act effectively to prevent the situation in Jammu and Kashmir from worsening.

"The peaceful environment that has been established should not be allowed to deteriorate, and we must ensure such incidents do not occur again," he added.

National Conference secretary Sheikh Bashir noted that several lives have already been lost, and another attack has occurred now.

"It appears that there are forces that do not want to see the democratic process succeed in Jammu and Kashmir. The government must analyse the situation and take appropriate measures," Bashir said.

He also mentioned that local police officers and officials are working to address the situation and tackle the ongoing challenges.

Congress vice president and chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma said that an attack took place in which someone was injured. "Three days ago, an incident occurred near Ganderbal, Sonamarg, where some of our people were killed. It is deeply painful to witness these incidents," he said.

Sharma added that terrorism remains a significant challenge. "In recent years, there has been an increase in targeted killings in Kashmir. For the safety of civilians, security must be strengthened, including the deployment of additional security personnel," he said.

He added that this challenge has been continuing for the past 35 years. "It existed during previous governments and continues to exist today. We are united in our stance against this and fully support stringent action," Sharma said.