Nine people were killed and 33 injured as terrorists struck a bus carrying pil-grims from Uttar Pradesh in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district on Sunday evening, opening fire on the vehicle, which fell into a gorge, a senior police officer said.
The attack occurred on the bus en route from Shiv Khori temple to Mata Vaishno Devi shrine at Katra, near Teryath village in the Poni area. The bus, a 53-seater, veered off the road and plunged into a deep gorge following the gunfire at around 6.15 pm.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took stock of the situation arising out of the terrorist attack. J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said attack marks an rise in violence in the region As Reasi had been relatively untouched by terrorist activities, the Prime Minister directed him to constantly monitor the situation and ensure all possible help for the affected families. Union Minister Amit Shah said those involved in the dastardly terrorist attack will not be spared and will face the wrath of the law.
“An unfortunate incident occurred and as per initial reports, the terrorists had laid an ambush and opened fire on the bus that had left Shiv Khori for Katra. The driver lost balance, and the vehicle fell into the gorge,” Senior Superintendent of Police, Reasi, Mohita Sharma, said. Sharma said the rescue operation was completed and, so far, nine people are dead and 33 others ers injured in the incident, and they have been shifted to different hospitals.
“The identity of the deceased is not clear, but preliminary reports suggest that they all belong to Uttar Pradesh,” the officer said. Sharma said they usually remain on high alert and have fully secured the Shiv Khori temple, with frequent area dominance patrols in the adjoining areas for the past many days. Eyewitnesses shared harrowing accounts of the terrorist attack.
A survivor described how the bus was barraged with 25–30 shots before it fell into the gorge. Another recalled seeing a masked assailant in a red muffler firing on the bus. The injured were rushed to Teryath Hospital. “We were supposed to leave at 4 pm but the bus left around 5.30 pm and suddenly came under fire,” an injured pilgrim from Ba-Naras said.
The driver was hit and lost control, resulting in the bus sliding into the nearby gorge. A joint security force temporary operation headquarters by the police, army, and CRPF has been set up at the site, and a multidimensional operation has been launched to get at the attackers.
Deputy Commissioner Reasi Vishesh Paul Mahajan reached the scene to coordinate nate rescue and search operations. Security forces from Reasi and neighboring ing Rajouri were mobilised for a comprehensive search to locate and eliminate the terrorists responsible for the heinous act.Meanwhile, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad strongly condemned the attack and demanded stern action against terror groups and complete sanitization of the region to free it from terroristsists. Amit Shah said the local administration is working on a war footing to provide immediate medical attention “May the Almighty give the loved ones of the deceased the strength to bear this pain. I also pray for the speedy recovery of the injured,” he posted on X.
The Congress said the incident reflects the true picture of the worrying security situation in Jammu and Kashmir. Party president Mallikarjun Kharge said, “Even while PM Shri Narendra dra Modi and his NDA Government get sworn in and heads of several countries are in the country, a das- tardly terrorist attack on a bus carrying pilgrims has resulted in loss of lives of at least 10 Indians.” Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the cowardly terrorist attack is saddening. “This shameful incident is the true picture of the worrying security situation in J&K.”
