Overview
- Suspected militants opened fire at a brick kiln in Kelam village, Kulgam on July 31, leaving two non‑local labourers fatally wounded and triggering a large cordon and search operation.
- The victims were identified as Deepak Ratray (24) and Bopinder/Bhupinder (about 28), both from Chhattisgarh, and both succumbed to their injuries after being taken for treatment.
- Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha ordered intensified anti‑terror operations and senior security officials moved to seal the area and hunt the attackers.
- Police investigators are probing possible links to Lashkar‑e‑Taiba/The Resistance Front and have named preliminary suspects such as Mohammed Lateef, but no arrests have been publicly confirmed.
- The attack has revived long‑standing fears about the safety of migrant workers in the valley, led to political condemnation and promises of compensation, and could affect security measures around the Amarnath Yatra and labour registration practices.