J&K Launches Massive Op To Hunt Terrorists Who Killed 2 Migrant Workers

Security forces in South Jammu and Kashmir have launched a massive manhunt to track down the terrorists who killed two labourers from Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh on Friday.The attackers have since on the run the South Kashmir region, the route to the ongoing Amarnath Yatra, with the police and security forces combing Kulgam and other parts of the Valley amid a threat of a repeat attack.Deepak and Bhupendra were killed a week after police officer Ashique Hussain Qureshi was shot point blank in a busy marketplace in Anantnag.Two target attacks in a week has shattered fragile peace in the Valley. In both the attacks in South Kashmir region, route to ongoing Amarnath Yatra, terrorists have managed to escape after carrying out attacks.According to official sources, hundreds of security personnel were deployed at KP Road and Anantnag town when a lone terrorist carrying an AK-47 rifle struck right next to the office of District Magistrate Anantnag, killed the cop and managed to escape. The incident was captured on CCTV cameras.More than 3,000 of "suspects" have been detained over the last week.Jammu and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah warned that mass arrests may =worsen the situation.Both the attacks on the labourers and the policeman appear to have been carefully chosen to create fear and panic in the Valley amid the ongoing Amarnath Yatra and ahead of the 7th anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370.Migrant labourers in Kashmir work at brick kilns, apple orchards, agricultural fields and constriction sites. At Kelam, where terrorists struck on Friday evening, over 2,000 migrant workers work at brick kilns, in a bid to earn more salary.Sanjay, a labourer from UP say he gets a monthly salary of Rs 18,000 for working at a brick kiln, five kilometres away from Fridays attack site. He was unaware of any targeted killing of migrant workers." We don't know much about situation outside our brick kiln. The owner has strictly asked us not to venture out. We have no idea what has happened," said Sanjay.After the Friday attack, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has asked police and security forces to review SoPs ( standard operating procedures). Sinha chaired a high-level security review