3 killed in 10 days: Twin terror attacks jolt J&K despite heightened security

Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed two terror attacks within 10 days, leaving three people dead, including a police head constable and two migrant labourers, raising fresh concerns over the security situation more than a year after the deadly Pahalgam attack.

The first incident took place on July 22 in Anantnag, where terrorists shot dead Head Constable Aashiq Hussain Qureshi at Lal Chowk. Qureshi, a member of the IR 3rd Battalion and a resident of Budgam district, was deployed on Amarnath Yatra security duty when he was attacked. It was the first terror strike in the Kashmir Valley since the April 2025 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians.

The second attack occurred on Saturday in Kulgam district, where terrorists opened fire on two migrant labourers from Chhattisgarh working at a brick kiln in Kilam village. One labourer died on the spot, while the other succumbed to injuries during treatment at Government Medical College, Anantnag.

The back-to-back attacks have renewed focus on militancy in south Kashmir despite heightened security measures following the Pahalgam massacre.

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah condemned the attacks, with Sinha vowing that those responsible would be brought to justice.

The Kulgam incident also marks the latest attack targeting non-local workers. In February 2024, two migrant labourers from Punjab were shot dead by terrorists in Srinagar.

The fresh attacks have reignited concerns over the safety of security personnel, migrant workers and civilians in the Union Territory, especially after the April 2025 Pahalgam attack, in which 26 tourists were killed in one of the deadliest terror strikes in recent years.