Nine people lost their lives, and 33 others were injured when terrorists attacked a bus carrying pilgrims to Shivkhori in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district, according to SSP Reasi Mohita Sharma.
The incident occurred around 6:10 PM in the Pouni area of Reasi, near the Rajouri district border. “A bus transporting yatris from Shivkhori to Katra was targeted by terrorists using firearms,” stated the Jammu and Kashmir Police.
The driver, struck by gunfire, lost control of the bus, causing it to slide into a nearby gorge. Local villagers assisted the police in evacuating all passengers by 8:10 PM. SP Reasi supervised the evacuation efforts, and the injured were transported to various hospitals.
A temporary joint operation headquarters has been established at the site by the police, Army, and CRPF, launching a multidimensional operation to apprehend the attackers.
Reinforcements from police, army, and paramilitary forces were quickly deployed to the scene. This attack signifies a significant escalation of violence in the region, as Reasi has been relatively untouched by terrorist activities compared to neighboring districts such as Rajouri and Poonch.
The attack occurred just days after a separate tragic incident where 22 pilgrims, including nine women and two children, died and 57 were injured when a bus from UP’s Hathras fell into a deep gorge in Akhnoor.
Expressing his condolences, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated, “Anguished by the loss of lives due to a bus mishap in Akhnoor. My thoughts are with those who have lost their loved ones. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured. Rs. 2 lakh will be given to the next of kin of each deceased, and Rs. 50,000 to the injured.”
In November of last year, another tragic bus accident resulted in the deaths of 39 passengers, with 17 others injured, when a bus veered off a mountain road and rolled 300 feet down a hill in the Doda district. The private bus, carrying 56 passengers, left Kishtwar at around 8:20 AM for a journey to Jammu but crashed at 11:50 AM in Doda’s Assar area on National Highway 244 (NH244).
This string of incidents highlights the ongoing challenges in ensuring the safety of travelers in the region, amid both accidental and deliberate threats.