Gunmen kill seven people working on a tunnel in Indian-controlled Kashmir

Gunmen have shot dead at least seven people working on a strategic tunnel project in Indian-controlled Kashmir and wounded at least five others, officials said.

Police accused militants who have been battling Indian rule for decades for the “terror attack” on a camp for construction workers near the region’s embattled resort of Sonamarg.

No rebel group has yet claimed responsibility.

Police said at least two gunmen fired “indiscriminately” at officials and workers involved in construction, killing two on the spot. At least ten others were taken to hospital, where five others died.

The attack took place shortly after the workers returned to their shelter on Sunday evening. There was no immediate independent confirmation of the attack.

The dead included five non-local workers and officials, a Kashmiri worker and a Kashmiri doctor.

Reinforcements of police and soldiers launched searches in the area to capture the attackers.

Omar Abdullah, the region’s top elected official, condemned the attack in a post on social media platform

A key resistance leader in Kashmir said he was “deeply saddened by the shameful killings”.

“Another grim reminder of the endless cycle of violence and insecurity we have suffered for decades,” Mirwaiz Umar Farooq wrote on X.

Hundreds of people, mostly non-local workers, are working on the ambitious tunnel project that aims to connect the Kashmir valley with Ladakh, a cold desert region isolated for six months due to massive snowfall.

Experts say the tunnel project is important for the army, which will have significantly improved capabilities to operate in Ladakh.

The strategically important region shares de facto borders with Pakistan and China, and Indian and Chinese soldiers have been locked in a military standoff there since 2020.

Both countries have tens of thousands of soldiers stationed there, supported by artillery, tanks and fighter jets.