Overview
- A head constable was shot dead in Anantnag on July 22, triggering a major police crackdown across the Valley.
- On July 31 two migrant brick-kiln workers from Chhattisgarh were shot in Kulgam and later died, and the J&K government approved Rs 15 lakh ex gratia payments for each family.
- Police have displayed wanted posters across Srinagar and South Kashmir, offered a Rs 15 lakh reward and launched an intensified manhunt for Mohammad Lateef/Latif Bhat, who is treated as the prime suspect.
- Investigators say a small-calibre pistol was used in the attacks, a method tied to The Resistance Front’s use of locally recruited overground workers who strike quickly and then blend into civilian areas.
- Authorities have ordered mandatory registration for newly arriving non-local labourers, advised relocation of workers from isolated brick kilns to populated areas, increased patrols and guaranteed informant confidentiality to protect vulnerable migrants and gather tips.