Over 40 suspects rounded up for probe into Ganderbal militant attack

GANDERBAL: Investigators have rounded up more than 40 suspects for questioning as part of investigations into the deadly militant attack at Gagangir in Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir in which seven persons were killed, officials said on Tuesday.

Police officials believe that the assailants had meticulously planned the attack and were able to execute their designs due to the support of the militant associate network.

“We will get them (militants) sooner or later. We have picked up several suspects for questioning but no one has been arrested so far,” a senior police officer said.

Security forces on Monday launched a large-scale combing operation in the area adjacent to tourist spot Sonamarg, a day after a horrific militant attack at a tunnel construction site.

National Investigation Agency (NIA) agents have scoured the scene for crucial evidence as the Army, CRPF and police units spread out across the hills surrounding the construction area to track down the perpetrators and their accomplices involved in one of the deadliest attacks on non-local labourers in the Kashmir valley.

The assailants, believed to be Pakistani militants, meticulously studied the site layout before executing their plan. They first targeted the labourers’ mess before proceeding to the officers’ quarters.

Officials suspect that the attackers may have had prior knowledge of the site, potentially having worked there previously or receiving support from locals present at the location. Eyewitnesses recounted the cold-blooded firing by the attackers.

The officials said CCTV footage from the area is being scrutinised.

The Resistance Front, a shadow organisation linked to the banned Lashker-e-Taiba, has claimed responsibility for the barbaric act.

In a region that has been plagued by militancy for over three decades, this area had not experienced such a violent incident before.

The attack, which left a doctor and six labourers dead, unfolded when the staff had returned to their camp late in the evening after working on the tunnel project.

Among the deceased were Dr Shahnawaz Dar, Faheem Nasir, Kaleem, Mohammad Hanif, Shashi Abrol, Anil Shukla and Gurmeet Singh.

The NIA’s investigative team visited the site to gather crucial evidence that could aid in identifying the attackers.

As leaders of various political parties and outfits condemned the attack, J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed determination not to let vested interests impede the region’s progress and development.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha vowed to avenge the brutal attack, holding Pakistan accountable for instigating violence in the area. (PTI)