Mamata calls for probe into Kulgam attack, announces grant for kin

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday called for a "strong" investigation over the massacre of five workers by terrorists in Katrasoo area of South Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Tuesday evening. "In a most unfortunate incident in Kashmir yesterday, five innocent labourers were brutally killed in a pre-planned manner. We are totally shocked! Presently there are no political activities in Kashmir and entire law and order is with the Government of India. We, therefore, demand a strong investigation so that the real truth comes out. We are deputing ADG South Bengal Sanjay Singh to find out details from them," tweeted Mamata Banerjee.

READ | Terrorists Gun Down 5 Non-Kashmiri Labourers In South Kashmir's Kulgam

She also informed that Trinamool Congress MPs and MLAs reached Murshidabad to meet the family members of victims. Mamata also pledged financial grant of Rs. 5 lakh each to the families of the deceased and also assured of all possible assistance to them. CM Banerjee had earlier tweeted her grief on the untoward incident.

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Attack on the same day when EU delegation visits Kashmir

The attack happened on a day when the delegation of parliamentarians from the European Union visited Kashmir to talk to locals about their experience after the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir in August. The bodies of the deceased have been recovered and the one who was injured has been taken to Srinagar for further treatment. The security has cordoned off the area and a massive search operation is going in order to nab the terrorists. Additional security forces have been called in for the operation. According to the police control room, Kulgam, “The five labourers killed in Katrasoo area of Kulgam have been identified as Mursaleem Sheikh, Qamar Din, Rafiq Sheikh, Nazim Ud Din Sheikh, and Rafiq-ul Shiekh.”

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After the abrogation of Article 370, the terrorists have been targeting truck drivers and labourers who have come to the valley on duty. On Monday, October 28, a trucker from Udhampur district was killed by terrorists in Anantnag. This was the fourth truck driver to be killed by militants after the abrogation of Article 370. On October 24, terrorists killed two non-Kashmiri truck drivers in the Shopian district. Earlier in October, two terrorists shot dead the driver of a truck having a Rajasthan registration number and assaulted an orchard owner in the Shopian district. A Punjab-based apple trader Charanjeet Singh was killed and a truck driver was injured on October 16 when terrorists attacked them in the Shopian district. The same day, a brick kiln worker from Chhattisgarh was shot dead by militants in Pulwama district.

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