CCTV footage from the workers’ camp in Ganderbal, Kashmir, has revealed critical details about the October 20 militant attack, which left seven people dead, including six migrant workers and a local doctor. The footage captured two militants, armed with an American-made M4 carbine and an AK-47, as they stormed the camp near the Z-Morh tunnel construction site on the Srinagar-Sonamarg highway.
The footage shows the militants entering the workers’ camp at around 7:25 pm. They first opened fire in an area without camera coverage but were later recorded as they moved through the camp, heading to the workers’ dining area. Armed with high-powered rifles, they unleashed a deadly attack, killing several laborers inside the mess hall before moving outside to target more workers.
The CCTV footage shows the assailants firing indiscriminately in and around the camp, staying for approximately seven minutes before fleeing the scene. Security officials believe the attackers were well-acquainted with the camp’s layout, as their movements appeared precise and deliberate. In one chilling detail revealed by the footage, the militants are seen placing a grenade inside a parked vehicle at the camp. The explosion killed the driver on the spot, adding to the terror. Some workers initially mistook the sounds of gunfire for firecrackers, but within minutes, they realized it was a coordinated attack.
Authorities, including senior police officers and National Investigation Agency personnel, have since visited the site. The investigation has highlighted the need for enhanced security measures at such vulnerable infrastructure projects. The lack of CCTV coverage in certain areas of the camp has raised concerns, though the footage that exists has proven vital in reconstructing the timeline and identifying the attackers.
Authorities believe that the attackers first fired at the site where no CCTV cameras were installed. However, their movements within the camp were captured on cameras covering the workers’ living quarters and the mess. The footage clearly shows the faces of the two assailants, both armed with high-powered rifles, entering the camp and carrying out the attack.
The militants spent around seven minutes at the workers’ camp, during which they carried out their killing spree. As per sources, they even lobbed a grenade into a vehicle parked at the camp, killing its driver instantly. “The attackers threw a grenade inside the vehicle after shooting the driver,” said an official. The workers, initially mistaking the sounds for firecrackers, soon realised they were under attack as the gunfire became more intense.
Security officials who reviewed the CCTV footage said it showed the militants entering the dining area, killing the workers inside, and then exiting the mess to fire at others. Some of the injured workers and a security guard who managed to escape later recounted the harrowing moments, describing how the chaos unfolded in mere minutes.
All seven individuals killed in the attack were working on the Z-Morh tunnel project, which is a critical part of improving the region’s infrastructure. Six of them were migrant laborers from outside Kashmir, while the seventh was a local doctor. Their identities have not been publicly disclosed, but they had been working to support their families far from home.
The laborers, along with others working on the project, were staying in the camp near the tunnel. The camp’s isolated location, surrounded by rugged terrain, made it a vulnerable target for such an assault.
As soon as the attack was reported, security forces rushed to the scene and cordoned off the area. However, by the time they arrived, the militants had already fled into the surrounding mountainous region. A large-scale search operation is now underway to track down the perpetrators.
Senior officials from the Jammu and Kashmir police, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), and other security agencies visited the site on October 21 to assess the situation. Investigators believe that the attackers had meticulously planned the strike and were well-versed in the camp’s layout. This has raised concerns that the militants might have had local support or prior knowledge of the security lapses at the site.
Although no group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, it bears the hallmarks of cross-border terrorism that has often targeted infrastructure projects and migrant workers in the region. Officials are also reviewing the site’s security arrangements, particularly the lack of CCTV cameras in critical areas, which might have provided more footage of the attackers’ entry and escape routes.
The Z-Morh tunnel project, an essential part of the Srinagar-Sonamarg highway, is crucial for improving all-weather road access to the region. The project has brought in a large number of workers from other parts of India, making them potential targets for militants looking to destabilise the area and halt progress.
Following the attack, the government condemned the killing and assured swift action against the perpetrators. “This is a heinous crime, and we will ensure the culprits are brought to justice,” said a senior official from the Union Home Ministry. Security in the region has been tightened, and additional forces have been deployed along the Srinagar-Leh highway.
The victims’ families are now left to mourn their loss, while the security agencies continue their investigation, hoping to prevent such tragedies in the future. The attack has once again brought to the forefront the challenges of maintaining security in a region that continues to grapple with militancy and violence.
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