Srinagar: The investigating agencies have included the viral screengrabs of terrorists purportedly carrying AK-47 rifles as part of their probe into the deadly attack at Z-Morh tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, ETV Bharat has learnt.
The images are believed to be from the CCTV footage captured before the attack in the Gangangeer area on Sunday, in which seven people including a doctor and six workers were killed.
The two bearded terrorists dressed in kurta-pyjamas and Pheran with AK-47 rifles hanging along are purportedly seen making their way through the entrance of a building, which has two vehicles in the background. The snapshots have gone viral on social media, with many media outlets reporting it.
A senior official confirmed that screengrabs are from CCTV footage from the site and are part of the ongoing investigations.
The premier National Investigation Agency (NIA), India's leading anti-terror agency, is leading the probe into the deadly terror attack on the tunnel's campsite on October 20.
The Z-Morh tunnel is part of the mega Zojila project which will offer all-weather connectivity to Ladakh and allow people and troops quick access to borders. Ladakh remains cut off from the valley during winters due to snow.
The Sunday attack marks the deadliest assault on civilians in the region since the June 9 attack in Jammu's Reasi, where nine Hindu pilgrims lost their lives in an ambush on their bus. They were returning from Shiv Khori temple to Katra, and the bus veered off into a gorge.
In Kashmir, which has seen a dip in parameters of violence in the last five years, the attack marks the first on a critical infrastructure project in the union territory.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, in a back-to-back security meeting, directed the security forces to tighten security around the key infrastructure projects and construction camps for the safety of workers.
Hundreds of migrant workers from different parts of the country, particularly Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal, descended to the valley in spring for want of construction work. They return to their destinations with the arrival of winter, as the valley is facing a shortage of its construction workers.
According to the Report Migration in India based on the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2020-21 and released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), the total migration rate in India was 28.9 per cent. Of them, about 10.8 per cent migrated due to employment reasons.
With Jammu and Kashmir under direct central rule for more than six years until the Omar Abdullah-led government assumed the charge a week ago, the central government intensified work on the above big-ticket projects in the union territory.
As many as 51 projects are underway, according to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI). This includes 13 national projects falling under the Ministry of Roads, Highways, and Transport.
The LG Sinha has suggested the establishment of mechanisms for regular coordination meetings with project implementing agencies.
“The entire terror eco-system, including perpetrators and those aiding and abetting terrorists, requires to be completely dismantled," he said.
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