Nine pilgrims were killed and 33 injured after terrorists fired on a bus carrying pilgrims in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi, which resulted in the vehicle plunging into a gorge. “We received reports that militants were lying in wait, and they fired on the bus, which had left Shivpuri and was on its way to Katra. As a result, the driver lost control and the bus fell into a gorge. Rescue operation has been completed – The people (in the bus) are not locals, but their identities are yet to be confirmed.
Why In News
- Nine pilgrims were killed and 33 injured after terrorists fired on a bus carrying pilgrims in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi, which resulted in the vehicle plunging into a gorge.
- “We received reports that militants were lying in wait, and they fired on the bus, which had left Shivpuri and was on its way to Katra. As a result, the driver lost control and the bus fell into a gorge. Rescue operation has been completed – The people (in the bus) are not locals, but their identities are yet to be confirmed.
- So far, we’ve learnt that they may be from Uttar Pradesh,” the Reasi Senior Superintendent of Police, Mohita Sharma, said.
What Actually Happened
- Recounting the horrific attack, one of the survivors said, “I saw one of the terrorists firing at the bus. He kept firing at the bus for 20 minutes even after it fell into a gorge.”
- The driver of the bus was hit by a bullet due to which he lost control and the vehicle fell into a gorge.
- Ten people were killed, and 33 others were injured after terrorists fired upon a bus carrying pilgrims from a shrine in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district on Sunday, police said. The bus rolled down a gorge following the attack.
- Sources told India Today that two to three terrorists were involved in the Reasi bus attack. The terrorists are part of the same group that carried out other attacks in Rajouri and Poonch over the past month. The terrorists were hiding in the dense vegetation and ambushed the bus on Sunday.
- A massive search operation has been launched to trace the terrorists. Home Ministry sources informed India Today TV that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has been deployed to probe the attack.
- Drones are being used to search the forest area while a team from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) have also joined the operation.
- The 53-seater bus on its way to the Shiv Khori temple came under attack in Teryath village in Poni area. According to locals, two militants wearing masks opened fire on the bus, hitting the driver and some passengers.
- While locals said three passengers had died of bullet injuries, and the rest in the bus crash, officials said this can only be confirmed after the post-mortem. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.
Reactions
All You Need To Know
- The Himalayan region, which is also claimed by Pakistan, has been roiled by violence since the start of an armed rebellion in 1989. Tens of thousands of people have been killed, although violence has tapered off in recent years.
- India regularly accuses Pakistan of supporting and arming rebels in Kashmir, a charge Islamabad denies.
- The last big attack on Hindu pilgrims in the region happened in 2017 when a bus was targeted, killing eight people.
- Sunday’s attack comes a day after police chief RR Swain said the number of local fighters in the territory was dropping but 70-80 foreign fighters remained active.
- Moreover, violence and anti-India protests have also drastically fallen since 2019, when Modi’s government cancelled the region’s limited autonomy.
- No separatist group called for a boycott of the recently concluded general election – a first since the armed revolt erupted in the territory.
- The vote in the region saw a 58.6 percent turnout, according to India’s election commission, a 30-percentage-point jump from the last vote in 2019 and the highest in 35 years.
