Family members of one of the two migrant labourers killed in a terrorist attack at a brick kiln in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district claimed that the militants asked for their caste and community of the victims before gunning them down.

Deepak Ratray and Bopinder, who were in their 20s and hailed from Chhattisgarh, were killed in the attack that took place on Friday evening. Ratray succumbed to his injuries before he could be taken to a hospital, while Bopinder died during treatment in a hospital.

Haldhar Ratre, a kin of Deepak, claimed that according to the information his family received, "the terrorists asked about their caste and community before shooting them."

He said Deepak had been working in Kulgam for the past six months.

According to him, the family was informed that Deepak had been injured in a terrorist attack.

"The confirmation came later. Two migrant labourers from Chhattisgarh were targeted-one from Baloda Bazaar and another my nephew, Deepak Ratre. According to the information received, the terrorists asked about their caste and community before shooting them. We strongly condemn this act and request the government to take strict action so that such incidents are not repeated."

However, there has been no official confirmation from the authorities regarding the claim of the terrorists asking the labourers to identify themselves, even as Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge's social media post seemed to suggest that the workers were identified. "Identifying two innocent labourers and then brutally murdering them is a loathsome example of the cruel mindset of terrorism. No amount of condemnation for this can ever be enough," he had said in a social media post.

Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday chaired a security review meeting in Srinagar and directed security forces to intensify precise and high-impact anti-terror operations to neutralise terrorists.

Source: TheWeek