>>Reviews security measures, interacts with officers
>> Directs securing vital infra projects across J&K
Jammu/Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir’s Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha Tuesday said that possibly two foreign terrorists were involved in the Gagangir terror attack.
“According to an initial investigation, two people with masks covering their faces, both possibly foreign terrorists, entered the mess of the company constructing the Z-Morh tunnel and opened indiscriminate fire. Seven people were killed and four injured,” L-G Sinha said in Jammu.
The Lt Governor added that both the terrorists reportedly infiltrated from the Bandipora area of North Kashmir. “They are being tracked and will be neutralised,” he said.
Officials said that the terrorists carried out the attack when the labourers and other staff working on the tunnel project at Z-Morh in Ganderbal district returned to their camp late in the evening.
The Lt Governor reiterated that the security forces have been given instructions and full freedom to track down and eliminate the perpetrators of the heinous act.
On Sunday terrorists attacked unarmed, innocent civilian workers of a private company in the Gagangir area of Ganderbal district.
Seven people, including six non-local workers and a local doctor, were killed in the attack and four others were wounded.
Pakistan-based terror outfit ‘TRF’ (The Resistance Front) later owned responsibility for the dastardly attack.
The attack on civilian workers engaged in building an important infrastructure project that would benefit the local economy and bring employment for the locals has been widely condemned.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Minister for Roads and Highways Nitin Gadkari, J&K Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, former Chief Ministers Dr Farooq Abdullah, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mehbooba Mufti and many others have unequivocally condemned the terrorist attack.
Ex gratia relief has been sanctioned by the J&K Lt Governor in favour of the victims and the private company, APCO has also sanctioned relief to the next of kin of the victims.
Meanwhile, the Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha travelled to Gagangir, Ganderbal to interact with officers and workers of Project Implementing Agency and to review the security measures on the project site.
During his visit, the Lt Governor chaired a meeting of Officers of Police, Civil Administration, Project Implementing Agency and other security agencies and directed that the security grid should be further strengthened to ensure zero terror incidents in order to push rapid social and economic development.
In the meeting, the Lieutenant Governor underlined the need for securing the vital infrastructure projects across J&K UT and putting in place a multi-pronged and foolproof mechanism for coordination with project implementing agencies to prevent security breaches.
He said the safety and security of workers and officers working on key infrastructure projects is the highest priority for the government.
The Lieutenant Governor emphasised the need for stricter access control and regular patrolling around the project sites. He also directed the security forces and the police to conduct coordinated counter-terrorism operations pro-actively to wipe out terrorism in J&K UT.
