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{{short description|Killing of 29 Hindu labourers}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
{{Terrorist attacks in India (since 2001)}}
{{Infobox civilian attack
| title = Qasim Nagar Massacre
| image =
| caption =
| location = Qasim Nagar, [[Jammu district|Jammu]], [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]], [[India]]
| target = [[Hindu]]s
| date = 13 July 2002
| time =
| timezone =
| type = [[Mass murder]]
| fatalities = 29
| injuries =
| perps = [[Lashkar-e-Taiba]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/aug/03jk2.htm|title=LeT ultra involved in Qasim Nagar carnage arrested: Police|date=3 August 2002|work=Rediff|access-date=19 September 2014}}</ref><ref name="Rediff 2" />
| motive = [[Islamist Terrorism]] <br /> [[Jihadism]]
}}
The '''2002 Qasim Nagar massacre''' was the killing of 29 [[Hindu]] labourers in Qasim Nagar on the outskirts of [[Jammu]] city in the erstwhile [[Indian state]] of [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]] by [[Islamist]] militants belonging to the [[Jihadism|Jihadist]] terrorist group, [[Lashkar-e-Taiba]] on 13 July 2002.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/aug/03jk2.htm|title=LeT ultra involved in Qasim Nagar carnage arrested: Police|date=3 August 2002|work=Rediff|access-date=19 September 2014}}</ref><ref name=independent>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/panic-in-the-dark-as-slum-is-attacked-by-islamic-militants-184336.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/panic-in-the-dark-as-slum-is-attacked-by-islamic-militants-184336.html |archive-date=1 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Panic in the dark as slum is attacked by Kashmiri militants|work=The Independent|date=15 July 2002|first=Maseeh|last=Rahman|access-date=19 September 2014}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name="Rediff 1">{{cite web|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/jul/13jk2.htm|title=29 killed in militant attack in Jammu|work=Rediff|date=13 July 2002|first=Mukhtar|last=Ahmad|access-date=19 September 2014}}</ref><ref name="Rediff 2">{{cite web|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/sep/06jk5.htm|title=Terrorists behind Qasim Nagar massacre nabbed|date=6 September 2002|work=Rediff|access-date=19 September 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Rory|last=McCarthy|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/jul/15/kashmir.india|title=Massacre in Kashmir slum renews fear of war|work=The Guardian|date=15 July 2002|access-date=3 June 2018}}</ref>
{{Violence against Hindus in independent India}}

==Background==
Killings of civilians had been intermittent but regular feature of the [[Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir]]. Several prior incidents like [[Gawkadal massacre]], [[Handwara massacre]] and [[Hawal massacre]] are some of the brutal ones.

==The attack==
On 13 July 2002, around 8 pm, up to eight suspected militants walked into the Qasimnagar slum on the outskirts of Jammu Disguised as Hindu holy men. They then threw three or four grenades before opening fire with [[automatic weapons]] ([[AK-47]]s). Within minutes 24 people, all Hindus were dead. Three more died later in hospital and at least 30 were injured, some critically. The dead included 13 women and a child. The gunmen escaped into the thickly wooded hills nearby. The victims were listening to the commentary of Indian-England cricket match.

There was a power cut at that time and many had gathered around a radio to listen to [[cricket]] commentary being broadcast live from [[Lord's Cricket Ground]].<ref name=independent/><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20020714/main1.htm|title=Ultras kill 25 in Jammu|work=The Tribune|date=13 July 2002|access-date=19 September 2014}}</ref> Most of those killed were very poor labourers who lived in makeshift sheds fabricated from discarded apple crates.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl1916/19160160.htm|title=A massacre and a message|magazine=Frontline|volume=19|issue=16|date=3 August 2002|first=Praveen|last=Swami|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020805053422/http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl1916/19160160.htm|archive-date=5 August 2002|url-status=live}}</ref> The dead included two blind beggars, 13 women and one child.<ref name=independent/>

==Aftermath==
On 15 July, a complete bandh was observed in Jammu in protest against the incident.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20020716/main4.htm|title=Rallies mark Jammu bandh|date=15 July 2002|work=The Tribune|access-date=19 September 2014}}</ref>

British Foreign Secretary [[Jack Straw]] condemned the massacre saying "Terrorism be it in Jammu, Kashmir or anywhere else only serves to renew the determination of the free world to fight this evil. My thoughts are with the families and friends of those who suffered".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/jul/14war3.htm|title=Straw speaks to Sinha, condemns latest Jammu massacre|publisher=Rediff|date=14 July 2002|access-date=19 September 2014}}</ref> United States, Britain, and France also condemned the weekend attack.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2002-07/a-2002-07-15-5-India-s.cfm|title=India's Parliament Condemns Kashmir Killings|work=VOA|date=15 July 2002|first=Anjana|last=Pasricha|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080913034507/http://voanews.com/english/archive/2002-07/a-2002-07-15-5-India-s.cfm?renderforprint=1&textonly=1&&CFID=16298061&CFTOKEN=19119495|archive-date=13 September 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref>

US Secretary of State [[Colin Powell]] spoke to External Affairs Minister [[Yashwant Sinha]] and condemned the massacre which he described as a "terrorist act". The State Department also released one-para statement on behalf of Mr Powell saying:
<blockquote>I condemn the vicious killing of over 20 persons in Jammu yesterday. The people of this region deserve peace and development, not the suffering imposed upon them by terrorist thugs who are beyond the pale of the civilised world. The perpetrators of this heinous act are proving once again that they do not have the interest of the [[Kashmiri people]] at heart, but rather seek to undermine efforts to ease tensions in the region.</blockquote>

Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a communication with the Ministry of External Affairs here, said:
<blockquote>The present terrorist act in Jammu and Kashmir like yesterday's attack on a group of foreign tourists in the north of Pakistan form part of the same chain of international terrorism which present today a major threat to peace and security, including in South Asia.

We emphasise that the first step in ending terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir is the consistent implementation of commitments given by the Government of Pakistan for preventing activities of terrorist groups on the territory under its control.</blockquote>

== Arrests ==
The Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police said that "Pakistan-based militant outfit [[Lashkar-e-Taiba]]" is responsible for the attack. Subsequently, Indian Police arrested Mohammad Abdullah alias Abu Talah of Lashkar-e-Taiba in connection with this massacre.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/aug/03jk2.htm|title=LeT ultra involved in Qasim Nagar carnage arrested: Police|date=3 August 2002|work=Rediff|access-date=19 September 2014}}</ref> Seven more militants belonging to Lashkar-e-Taiba were arrested later.<ref name="Rediff 2" />

==See also==
*[[1998 Wandhama massacre]]
*[[Chittisinghpura massacre]]

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

{{coord missing|Jammu and Kashmir}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Qasim Nagar Massacre}}

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[[Category:21st-century mass murder in India]]
[[Category:Massacres in 2002]]
[[Category:Persecution of Hindus]]
[[Category:Persecution by Muslims]]
[[Category:Mass shootings in India]]
[[Category:Terrorist incidents in India in 2002]]
[[Category:Islamic terrorism in India]]
[[Category:2002 in India]]
[[Category:Massacres in Jammu and Kashmir]]
[[Category:Violence against Hindus in India]]
[[Category:Islamic terrorist incidents in 2002]]
[[Category:July 2002 events in India]]
[[Category:2002 mass shootings in Asia]]
[[Category:2002 murders in India]]
[[Category:Massacres of Hindus in Kashmir]]
[[Category:Kashmir conflict]]

2002 Qasim Nagar massacre - Revision history

MetaBOT at 16:25, 8 July 2023