Suspected militants shot at and injured three labourers from Bihar in Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian on Thursday evening. This is reportedly the first attack on non-local labourers in the Valley this year.

At about 8:45 pm, two armed masked persons entered the rented accommodation of non-local labourers at Gagran village of the south Kashmir district and fired at the three labourers from Bihar. The accommodation is about 150 metres from a security forces’ camp, the officials said, PTI reported.

The injured individuals have been taken to a hospital. According to the officials, the three belong to Supaul, Bihar and have been identified as Anmol Kumar, Pintu Kumar Thakur and Heralal Yadav.

Also Read: LeT terrorist killed in encounter in J-K’s Shopian

The area has been cordoned off and a hunt launched to nab the attackers.

J&K Police tweeted, “Terrorist fired upon three outside labourers in Shopian. Injured persons are Anmol Kumar, Pintu Kumar Thakur and Heeralala Yadav, all residents of District Supaul, Bihar. Being shifted to hospital. Cordon being launched.”

This is the first attack on workers from outside the Union Territory this year and this year’s third attack on members from the minority community.

On February 26, suspected militants had shot a person, identified as Sanjay Kumar Sharma, outside his home in Achen village of Pulwama district. Sharma worked as a security guard at a bank in the village.

Also Read: Jammu and Kashmir: Terrorist killed in encounter in Rajouri district

On May 29, one Deepak Kumar was shot dead by suspected militants in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district. Kumar, who was a resident of Udhampur in Jammu worked at a private amusement park.

Condemning the attack, former J&K chief minister and NC leader Omar Abdullah tweeted, “Very unfortunate. I unreservedly condemn this attack and send my best wishes to the injured. I hope they make a complete and speedy recovery.”

Urging police to track those involved and punish them sternly, BJP’s J&K spokesperson Altaf Thakur stated, according to PTI, “Strongly denounce the attack on unarmed non-local labourers by the terrorists. This reflects frustration, inhumanity and cheapness of terrorists involved…”