Millitants killed five labourers from West Bengal and injured one in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Tuesday, the day when a delegation of European Union MPs visited Jammu and Kashmir for a two-day visit during to assess the ground situation in the state after abrogation of Article 370.

The five labourers have been identified as Naimuddin Sheikh, Murshalim Sheikh, Rafikul Sheikh, Rafique Sheikh and Kamaruddin Sheikh. They all belong to Bahalnagar village in Murshidabad district’s Sagardighi. The injured labourer Zahoorudin too belong to the same place and is undergoing treatment at a hospital.

“We have rushed a police party headed by the Deputy Inspector General of Kashmir,” Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police Dilbag Singh was quoted by NDTV as saying.

In #Kulgam terrorists have killed five civilians. Police is on the spot. Information is preliminary in nature .@JmuKmrPolice

— Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) October 29, 2019

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took to Twitter to express her grief at the incident. She said, “We are shocked and deeply saddened at the brutal killings in Kashmir. Five workers from Murshidabad lost their lives. Words will not take away the grief of the families of the deceased. All help will be extended to the families in this tragic situation.”

The area has been cordoned off by the security personnel and a massive search operation is underway.

Such incidents in the valley are on a rise. Earlier, on Monday night a truck driver was shot dead by terrorists in Anantnag and terrorists also fired at security personnel stationed at a school in Pulwama. Last Thursday, drivers of two apple-laden trucks were shot dead when terrorists attacked a convoy of trucks in South Kashmir’s Shopian district. The trucks, heading for fruit markets elsewhere in the country, were set on fire before the terrorists escaped from the spot.

Earlier this month, three non-Kashmiri workers were killed by terrorists in the Valley.

A Punjab-based apple trader was killed by militants in the Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir on October 16.

A day before, terrorists shot dead a migrant labourer from Chhattisgarh in Kakpora area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district.

A truck driver from Rajasthan was killed by terrorists in Shopian on October 14.

The attacks are part of Pakistan-backed terrorists’ game plan to terrorise traders, including apple traders, from going about business, which the government has been boosting.

Post the revocation of Article 370, militants have been resorting to civilian killings and threats to instill fear among the people so that the return of normalcy is prevented in the valley. The residents were reportedly asked to shut their shops in protest against the Centre’s move to abrogate Article 370.