Continuing with their targeted killing spree against members of the minority community, terrorists in the Shopian district killed two migrant labourers from Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday by hurling a grenade at them.

The grenade attack took place early in the morning while the labourers were sleeping inside a tin shed on an apple orchard in the Herman village where they were employed to pluck and pack apples in boxes. Police identified the deceased labourers as Manish Kumar and Ram Sagar, both residents of Kannauj in UP.

ADGP (Kashmir) Vijay Kumar and top brass of security forces rushed to the spot and launched a massive cordon and search operation to track down the terrorists involved in the attack. This is the second such attack in a week in the same south Kashmir district.

ADGP said a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) hybrid terrorist, Imran Bashir Ganie, who lobbed the grenade, has been arrested, along with a suspect. Ganie is a resident of Harmen village of Shopian.

Meanwhile, the Resistance Front (TRF) of the LeT has claimed responsibility for the attack. Five labourers were sleeping in the shed when the hand grenade was lobbed. The attack has sent panic in the area. After the incident, the area wore a deserted look with shopkeepers pulling down shutters and migrant labourers refraining from going to apple orchards though plucking is at peak. Army troops were seen deployed in strength near the apple orchards.

On Saturday, terrorists had shot dead a Kashmiri Pandit orchardist outside his house in the Shopian district.

ADGP Vijay Kumar said that non-local labourers are soft targets as they don’t have security. The arrested terrorists have confessed to have committed the grenade attack. We will give a befitting response to this act and prove the crime. The two will be produced in the court shortly, he added.

Security forces conducted raids at the places identified by the two terrorists during interrogation.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, who was scheduled to arrive at Shopian for a meeting, cancelled his visit to let the police officers investigate the killings.

Sinha tweeted: “We have intensified our efforts to crush terrorists and terror ecosystem and have given full freedom to the security forces. Terrorism is a curse for the civilised society. People from every community must come together to condemn heinous acts and root out terror & its elements”.

“District administration Shopian has deputed senior officers to make arrangements for transportation of the mortal remains to their respective villages with full honours,” the LG added in his tweet.

“One terrorist has been arrested & hunt is on for the others. Security apparatus has been directed to launch coordinated counter terrorist operations,” he said.

Condemning the grenade attack, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti said, “At the risk of sounding repetitive, there is no sense of security & dignity for anyone living in J&K. These issues will be resolved only when the Government of India acknowledges that they exist”.

CPM leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami said, “Each one of us must raise our voice to condemn such barbaric acts of violence”.

Peoples’ Conference chief Sajad Lone said, “Their journey to earn a livelihood ends in bloodbath at the hands of goons. These goons will rot in hell Inshallah”.