50 Suspects Detained
SUHAIL KHAN
GANDERBAL, Oct 22: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is expected to take over the probe into the recent Ganderbal terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which resulted in the tragic deaths of seven individuals, including six migrant workers and a doctor, in the next few days, according to official sources.
The attack, which occurred at a tunnel construction site near Sonamarg, marked one of the deadliest assaults on non-local laborers in the Kashmir Valley. The attackers, believed to be Pakistani terrorists, first targeted a laborers’ mess before proceeding to the officers’ quarters. Eyewitnesses recalled the cold-blooded firing that left Dr. Shahnawaz Dar, Faheem Nasir, Kaleem, Mohammad Hanif, Shashi Abrol, Anil Shukla, and Gurmeet Singh dead.
Security forces, including the Army, CRPF, and local police, launched a large-scale combing operation in the hills surrounding the area immediately after the incident. More than 50 suspects have been detained for questioning, with authorities believing that the attackers had meticulously planned the assault, possibly with support from the local terrorist associate network. Investigators suspect that the attackers may have had prior knowledge of the construction site, either through prior work or assistance from locals.
The NIA has already begun scouring the scene for critical evidence. CCTV footage from the area is under intense scrutiny as investigators work to identify the perpetrators and their accomplices. A senior police officer emphasized that although no arrests have been made so far, authorities are confident that the terrorists will be apprehended soon.
The Resistance Front, a shadow organization linked to the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba, has claimed responsibility for the attack. This region of Ganderbal, which had not experienced such a violent incident before, is now a focal point for security forces as they intensify efforts to track down the assailants.
Political leaders across the spectrum condemned the barbaric act. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed his determination not to let such violence derail the region’s progress, while Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha vowed to hold Pakistan accountable for the continued instigation of terrorism in the area.
