Terrorists fire at workers’ huts in J&K, throw grenade at vehicle: Video of Gaganeer attack emerges

A video showing the Gaganeer terrorists in action has become a key evidence in the tunnel attack case. Sources told CNN-News18 that the video shows two terrorists firing indiscriminately at the prefabricated shacks of APCO Infratech workers’ colony around 8 p.m. on Sunday. “The CCTV camera located at one of the gates captured the two terrorists first shooting at the prefabricated structures and then targeting a vehicle passing through that gate,” an officer from the investigation team told CNN -News18.

A screenshot from the video footage shows a terrorist carrying an assault rifle and a backpack inside the workers’ colony. A second capture seen by CNN-News18 shows the terrorist entering what looks like the residential area of ​​the workers’ mess.

The footage also shows, according to sources, that the terrorists threw a grenade at a vehicle that arrived around the same time as the gunfire. The driver reportedly jumped to escape, but the vehicle was set on fire.

Survivor testimonies and video footage are pieced together to understand the sequence of events.

Survivors told police that the terrorists also shot at employees who were moving in the area.

“There was a power outage and a generator only lit 2 or 3 prefabricated structures. The workers who were inside these cabins came under fire. It appears that the terrorists fired for around 10 minutes and left,” a police official said.

Looking for ground workers

Police suspect that the two terrorists received logistical support to flee the scene after the shooting.

“Preliminary assessment appears to indicate that a vehicle picked them up from the scene after the shooting. CCTV cameras on the roads leading to this area are being scanned to collect evidence in this regard,” said an investigating officer.

Police officials suspect that local agents conducted reconnaissance of the facility and provided specific information to the terrorists about the number of gates, escape routes and security present inside the camp. “It was not a fidayeen attack. The terrorists knew that there were no armed security personnel inside the camp. They also knew precisely where the mess was located and how to escape after the firing,” said a senior official on the ground.

Police officials also spoke to the serving CRPF personnel, who were the first responders after the attack, to ascertain the course of events. The investigation team estimates that the terrorists could have had a head start of at least 10 minutes after the murder, before police reinforcements arrived.

Technical investigation

A digital survey is also carried out by scanning nearby mobile towers. The Resistance Front (TRF) claimed responsibility for the attack and the Popular Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF) congratulated it for the act.

Network security officials in the Center and the Union Territory are investigating whether anyone provided an internet hotspot or access to a social media app to unknown persons in this area. Previous investigations have shown that terrorist groups use encrypted platforms to communicate with their Pakistani officials using local hotspots to access the internet.

Seven people, including two locals, were killed by terrorists near Z-Morh tunnel in Gaganeer on Sunday. Security has been beefed up at infrastructure projects in Jammu and Kashmir following the incident.