Suspected militants on Friday shot at and injured two migrant labourers from Uttar Pradesh at Mazhama village in Budgam.

This is the fifth attack in Kashmir and the fourth on non-locals since an elected government headed by Omar Abdullah took office here.

The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir operates under a hybrid system in which security-related issues are handled by the administration of lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha.

Officials said Usman Malik and Sufiyan, both from Saharanpur in UP, were injured in the firing. Usman suffered a hand injury while Sufiyan was hit in the leg. Both were taken to hospital where their condition was stated to be out of danger.

The attack took place on the road leading to the tourist destination Gulmarg which witnessed a major militant attack last week in which two soldiers and local porters were killed.

An official said that Friday’s attack did not seem to have been intended to kill the labourers but inflict injuries to scare them away. Security forces rushed to the area in numbers to hunt down the militants.