Ganderbal terror attack: NIA team arrives at crime scene

Srinagar: A four-member team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA), led by a senior officer, arrived in Gagangeer, Ganderbal district, on Monday for forensic analysis, a day after a terror attack claimed the lives of six construction workers and a doctor.

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is likely to transfer the case to the NIA from Jammu and Kashmir police, sources said. The NIA team reached the scene early in the morning and will investigate all potential angles related to the incident.

Officials said the terrorists who opened fire at a camp housing workers of an infrastructure company near Sonamarg on the Srinagar-Leh national highway in J&K were heavily armed and aimed to cause maximum casualties.

“There were at least two attackers who indiscriminately fired at multiple areas of the camp, including the mess. The site was targeted due to its strategic significance, and they are examining various aspects to fully understand the attack’s scope,” they said and added it seems the attack was aimed at causing maximum casualties.

The terrorist group 'The Resistance Front' (TRF), an offshoot of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack.

The victims have been identified as Faheem Nasir from Bihar, Anil Shukhla from Madhya Pradesh, Mohammad Hanif from Bihar, Kaleem from Bihar, Sashi Abrol from Jammu, Gurmeet Singh from Punjab, and Dr. Shahnawaz from Budgam, Kashmir.

This incident marks the first significant attack on an infrastructural project in Jammu and Kashmir, as past attacks have largely avoided such targets. In response, authorities have launched an extensive search operation in the region, particularly around the strategic Z-morh tunnel, a key site for ongoing construction and development.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah condemned the attack, calling it a “despicable” act of “cowardice.”

“The dastardly terror attack on civilians in Gagangir, J&K, is a despicable act of cowardice. Those involved in this heinous act will not be spared and will face the harshest response from our security forces. At this moment of immense grief, I extend my sincerest condolences to the families of the deceased. Praying for the speedy recovery of those injured,” Shah wrote in an X post.