Two terror attacks hit south Kashmir in a 10-day span despite a high security alert.
These are the first major terror attacks in the Valley since the April 2025 Pahalgam massacre.
Security forces have since detained over 1,000 suspected OGWs and demolished the homes of two terrorists.
More than a year after the Pehalgam Terrorist attack, Jammu and Kashmir once again echoes with bullets. Two incidents in the last ten days have cost three lives. A policeman was shot dead while on duty at the ongoing Amarnath Yatra on July 22, while on Saturday, two non-native labourers were killed in Kulgam.
The two incidents, though on a smaller scale, have brought back memories of the disaster at Pahalgam and have raised questions over the security arrangements in the northern state.
Outlook takes a look at the timeline of key events that have taken place in the last week in the valley.
JULY 22, 2026
Terrorists shot dead Head Constable Aashiq Hussain Qureshi at Lal Chowk in Anantnag at around 12:30 pm. Qureshi, a resident of Beerwah in Budgam district and a member of the IR 3rd Battalion, was deployed on Amarnath Yatra security duty when he was targeted. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha condemned the killing as a "cowardly terror attack," with Sinha vowing that those responsible would be brought to justice.
Days After The Anantanag Attack
Security forces launched a wide crackdown across south Kashmir. More than 2,500 youths were picked up for questioning, over 1,000 suspected Over Ground Workers (OGWs) were detained, and the family homes of two terrorists linked to the attack were demolished — a signal of the pressure authorities placed on militant support networks in the district.
August 1, 2026
In a second strike in the same fortnight, terrorists opened fire on non-local labourers at a brick kiln in Kilam village, roughly 16 km from Kulgam town. The victims were migrant workers from Chhattisgarh. One death was confirmed initially; a second critically wounded worker, referred to Government Medical College, Anantnag, succumbed to his injuries during treatment.
Why It Matters
Officials note that the last targeted attack on non-local workers before this fortnight came in February 2024, when a gunman shot dead two labourers from Punjab in the Shaheed Gunj area of Srinagar. The return of attacks aimed at migrant workers and security personnel — despite an elevated alert level in the Valley — has renewed scrutiny of the security situation ahead of the ongoing Amarnath Yatra and reopened questions about the durability of the calm that followed the Pahalgam massacre.
