Shah Basit
Mohammed Yusuf Gojri, 61, was having dinner with his family on Sunday night, when he heard a sudden “cracker-like sound.” Neighbors rushed out of their homes in panic but eventually concluded it was from a nearby wedding. In Kashmir, the practice of bursting crackers during weddings has become common in recent years.
Early the next morning, the villagers learned of the tragedy: Dr. Shahnawaz Ahmed Dar, a well-known doctor from Ganderbal, was among the seven killed in a militant attack.
Militants had fired upon a canteen housing non-local laborers working on the Z-Morh tunnel project, a crucial infrastructure development in Kashmir Valley. “He was a role model for all of us,” said a local resident, devastated by the loss.
In Shahnawaz’s native village Naidgam, three people are holding an almost unconscious son, Mohsin, 23, walking him to the site of the funeral, where hundreds of grieving men and women have gathered to participate in the last rites of the doctor.
His body reached his home early Monday morning, triggering grief in the entire area. Among those wailing is his daughter, who had just been married four days ago. “He had just sent me to my in-laws. He was everything to me. He had returned to work on Saturday, right after my wedding, and was planning the post-marriage functions from his workplace. Who will take care of those now?” she cried.
“It felt like doomsday when we heard about his death; there is mourning in the whole village, every eye is moist today,” said Advocate Tariq, a relative. “Shahnawaz was a man with character. Although he was young, he set an example through his philanthropic works.”
This attack marks the first major civilian killing in Jammu Kashmir since June 9, when a bus carrying pilgrims was targeted in Reasi district, resulting in nine civilian deaths. Five others were injured in this latest attack.
Hospital officials at SKIMS told The Kashmiriyat that, they recieved an urgent call for keeping emergency supplies ready. “When the body of Dr. Shahnawaz reached the hospital, who was a colleague to many of us, nobody could control their years. He was very kind and nice to people,” said a doctor.
The bodies has grave injuries and it was painful to see the injured in attack.”Some of them were crying in pain asking to be saved,” an ambulance driver said.
As per media reports, the base camp, where the attack occurred, served as a shelter for engineers, staff, and laborers working on the Z-Morh tunnel—a strategic route connecting Kashmir Valley with Ladakh.
The attackers had reportedly cut the power lines before firing indiscriminately at the workers having dinner. Alongside Dr. Shahnawaz, the deceased included a safety manager, a mechanical manager, and workers from Jammu, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh.
Inspector General of Police (Kashmir), V.K. Birdi, visited the site of the attack on Sunday night and confirmed the killings, stating that the attack occurred in a forested area.
Police, army, and paramilitary personnel arrived on the scene, and the injured were rushed to a hospital, where they are reported to be stable.
Security forces launched a massive combing operation in the area, with the National Investigation Agency (NIA) collecting evidence from the site. “So far, no progress has been made in terms of arrests, but we are hopeful of developing leads that will lead us to those involved in the attack,” an official stated.
This incident follows another killing just two days earlier when the bullet-riddled body of a migrant worker, Ashok Chauhan, was found near the Rambiara river in Shopian district.
Chauhan, who used to sell corn, had been abducted by suspected militants. Police described it as a “terror attack.”
Political leaders expressed their grief and condemned the attack.
Omar Abdullah, the chief minister of Jammu Kashmir, condemned the attack on X, calling it a “dastardly & cowardly” act and sending condolences to the victims’ families.
Other political figures, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, and leaders from the Peoples Democratic Party, Apni Party, Democratic Progressive Azad Party, and the Peoples Conference, also condemned the violence.
In Naidgam, Dr. Shahnawaz’s family received a call from the Soibugh police post confirming his death, but they did not believe it until the news spread on social media.
“We thought the police were confused, but when every media outlet started reporting it, people rushed out of their homes in Naidgam, wailing and gathering outside the doctor’s house,” his cousin, Advocate Tariq, said.
He shared that Dr. Shahnawaz was devout and often led prayers at the local mosque due to his vast knowledge of Islamic teachings. “He had always done good deeds and served the people in every way possible.”
“He leaves behind his two sons and a daughter. Only four days back, he married off his daughter, and now this shattering news has left us yearning for him forever,” Tariq added.
His son, overwhelmed with grief, said, “My father promised to make me an IAS officer and support me in every way, but now, what will I do?”