Militants on Thursday chose the picturesque Nagin Valley in Gulmarg, a supposedly insurgency-free haven in Kashmir, to carry out a deadly attack on the army in which two soldiers and two civilian porters were killed and three troopers injured.

The bloodshed came hours after militants shot and injured a labourer from Uttar Pradesh in the south Kashmir area of Tral, the third attack on non-local people since the Omar Abdullah government assumed office on October 16.

The Valley has been rocked by four militant attacks since October 16, leaving 12 dead and over a half-dozen injured.

On Thursday evening, militants ambushed an army vehicle belonging to the 18 Rashtriya Rifles at Botapathri in the Nagin Valley, 10km uphill from the ski resort of Gulmarg and a few kilometres from the Line of Control. The area has not witnessed militant violence in a long time.

Sources said two soldiers and two porters were killed and three soldiers injured.

There had been restrictions on the entry of tourists and non-local people into the Nagin Valley for years since the outbreak of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir in 1989 because of its proximity to the LoC. The curbs have been eased over the last decade, but soldiers still have a strong presence there.

The back-to-back militant attacks have suddenly brought Kashmir back into the militancy spotlight after a recent shift in rebel violence to Jammu. However, the militants in Jammu have been lying low for the past few weeks.

Thursday’s twin attacks came as Omar met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi to press for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha chaired his second high-level security meeting in as many days to discuss the spurt in militancy.

Omar, who has no jurisdiction over security issues, said the recent attacks in Kashmir were a matter of serious concern.

“Very unfortunate news about the attack on the army vehicles in the Boota Pathri area of North Kashmir which has resulted in some casualties & injuries. This recent spate of attacks in Kashmir is a matter of serious concern. I condemn this attack in the strongest possible terms & send my condolences to the loved ones of the people who lost their lives. I also pray that the injured make a complete & swift recovery,” Omar posted on X.

The army said there was a brief exchange of fire but was tight-lipped about further details.

In Batagund village, Tral, militants fired at Shubham Kumar, who hails from Bijnore in Uttar Pradesh, injuring him in the arm. Kumar was rushed to hospital where his condition was stated to be stable.

On Sunday, militants had attacked workers and their managers at a key construction site at Gagangir in Ganderbal, killing a local doctor and six non-local employees of a private company. The area is close to another tourist hot spot.