The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of the Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba led a deadly attack in Ganderbal district, Jammu and Kashmir, which resulted in the deaths of a doctor and six migrant workers on Sunday. The attack marks a significant shift in the group’s strategy, as it targeted both locals and non-locals for the first time.
Sheikh Sajjad Gul, the chief of TRF, is reportedly the mastermind behind the assault. Under his direction, the group’s local module executed the attack, which specifically aimed at Kashmiris and non-Kashmiris alike. Over the past year and a half, TRF has been active in Kashmir, previously focusing on targeting Kashmiri Pandits and Sikhs, but has now expanded its violence to include migrant workers.
The group had conducted reconnaissance of the attack site—a construction area in the Sonamarg region of Ganderbal—for over a month, with two to three terrorists executing the planned targeted killings.
In response to the incident, a four-member team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is scheduled to visit the attack site on Monday afternoon. The Union Home Ministry indicated that the NIA may take over the investigation into the Ganderbal attack.
Initial reports indicate that the deceased doctor, identified as Dr. Shahnawaz, and the migrant workers were part of a construction team working on the Z-Morh tunnel project, which connects Gaganeer to Sonamarg. The attack occurred as the laborers and staff were returning to their camp late in the evening. Additionally, five individuals sustained injuries during the attack, further underscoring the gravity of the incident.