SRINAGAR: A day after terrorists attacked a bus carrying pilgrims from Shiv Khori area towards Katra in Reasi district, Jammu and Kashmir police believed that two to three militants might be behind the attack which claimed nine lives.
Police said that 11 different teams are working on the ground and they are getting regular inputs and feeds on which they are following.
The police had claimed that nine people including the driver of the bus, were killed in the terror attack and 33 others got injured when terrorists had opened the fire on the bus due to which it fell into a deep gorge in Pouni area of Reasi district Sunday evening.
Talking to reporters at Reasi, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Udhampur-Reasi range said that it will be premature to say how many militants were behind the attack. “But as per the eye witnesses and footprints available, we can say that two to three terrorists may be behind the attack,” he said.
The DIG said that if needed arrests and detentions will be also done. According to officials, the bus, en route from the Shiv Khori shrine to Katra, was targeted by terrorists at around 06.10 pm when it reached Pouni area of Reasi district bordering Rajouri district.
After the attack the police and other security forces have launched a massive search operation in the upper reaches of Reasi district and have pushed into service drones and other gadgets to trace the terrorists. So far nothing has been found and checking and frisking has been increased in the entire region to arrest the culprit behind the attack.
This morning the National Investigation Agency (NIA) took over the probe and a team of the officers from NIA also visited the spot to collect the evidences and get the firsthand account of the attack.
A team of state investigation agency also visited the spot to collect the evidence.
A day after the attack, the case was transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for probe and a team was deputed to the attack site to get the firsthand account of the attack and collect evidence from the spot.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday termed the terror attack in Reasi that killed nine pilgrims as a “nefarious” attempt to bring Jammu region into turmoil.
Speaking to reporters after visiting the injured in hospital, LG Sinha, as per KNO such “nefarious” attempts will be dealt with strongly and those behind this attack won’t be spared. He also said that PM Naredera Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah are also monitoring the situation themselves since yesterday and that a joint operation is going on in the area to track down the attackers.
LG Sinha also said that their priority is to ensure that those injured in the incident are saved and “we know there is no compensation for the dead, but we have announced an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh for family members of those killed in the incident and Rs 5 lakh for the injured.”
President Droupadi Murmu has expressed anguish over the terror attack on a pilgrim’s bus in Jammu and Kashmir. She said, “The terrorist attack on the bus carrying pilgrims was a dastardly act and a crime against humanity, and must be condemned in the strongest words.”
Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured, the President said, adding that the nation stood with the victims’ families.
Union minister Amit Shah condemned the attack. He spoke to the Lieutenant Governor and the DGP of Jammu and Kashmir, and inquired about the incident. Shah said, “The culprits of this dastardly attack will not be spared and will face the wrath of the law.”
Union minister Rajnath Singh called the attack on pilgrims extremely reprehensible. He prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.
Meanwhile, those who were killed in the attack were identified as Vijay Kumar (40), driver, son of Rattan Lal, a resident of Dasanoo, Rajbagh Pouni, Arjun Kumar, (conductor), son of Hem Raj, a resident of Kandera Katra, Anurag Verma (14), son of Rajat Ram, a resident of Balrampur Uttar Pradesh, Ruby (23), daughter of Bimla Devi, a resident of Balrampur UP, Pooja Sawhney, wife of Pawan Sawhney, a resident of Jaipur, Rajasthan, Sorab Gupta, a resident of UP, Rajinder Parsad Sawhney (45), S/O Hanuman Sahai Sawhney, R/O Panchya Ki Dhani W.No. 02 Chomu Jaipur Rajasthan, Mamta Sawhney (46), W/O Rajinder Parsad Sawhney, R/O Jaipur Rajasthan and Titu Sawhney (2), son of Pawan Sawhney, R/O Jaipur Rajasthan.
The injured were identified as Bunty Gupta (30), S/O Paras Nath, R/O Greater Noida UP, Meera Sharma (28), W/O Rohit, R/O Village Raya Tehsil Matt District Mathura UP, Pawan (19), S/O Ram Lal, R/O Nacchi Patak Jaipur Rajasthan, Dinesh Gupta (25), S/O Swarg Hari Parsad Gupta, R/O Gonda Kanpur UP, Usha Pandey (42), W/O Ram Gopal, R/O Bhagat Pur Balrampur UP, Ajay Gupta (48), S/O Ram Gupta, R/O Khalilabad, Bhawani Shankar (35), S/O Ramesh Chand, R/O Tuglaqabad Extention, New Delhi, Rajit Ram (35), S/O Ram Kumar, R/O Balrampur UP, Kajal (15), D/O Ramakant Verma, R/O Balampur, Radha (27), D/O Bhawani Shankar, a resident of New Delhi, Laxmi Devi (38), W/O Laxman Parkash, R/O Village Raya Tehsil Matt District Mathura UP, Usha Devi, R/O UP, Mayana Devi (20), D/o Ram Chay Verma, R/o Kanbari Village District Vallabhpur UP, Ayush Gupta (18), a resident of UP, Preeti Gupta (50), W/o Ajay Gupta, UP, Raghav (3), son of Bhawani Shanker, a resident of Tuglaqabad Extention, Delhi, Geeta Devi (28), w/o Santosh Kumar, R/o Baldajot District Balrampur UP, Diksha (5), D/O Bhawani, Tuglaqabad Extention, Delhi, Santosh Kumar(44), S/o Ayodhya Parkash, R/o Madvajot District Balrampur UP, Shiva Verma (6), son fo Santosh Kumar, R/o Baldajot district Balrampur UP, Pawan Kumar(28), S/o Harpal Singh, R/O Meerut UP, Danish Kumar 935), S/o Ayodhya Parsad, R/O Balrampur, UP, Rajesh Kumar (35), son of Thakur Prasad, Gorakhpur UP, Rajesh Gupta (35), S/o Nand Gupta, R/o Gonda UP, Devi Parsad Dutta (37), Surya Nath, UP, Vikas Verma (32), S/o Ram Naresh, UP, Ruksana (27), W/o Rajesh Kumar, R/o Golghar Kalimandir Dakshni Jatipur, Gayatri Devi (45), W/o Prem Chand, R/o Gorakhpur, UP, Neelam Gupta (38), W/o Devi Parsad, UP, Bimbla Devi, wife of Ram Kumar, Balrampur UP, Palak Gupta (9), D/o Devi Parsad, Gonda UP, Prince Gupta (14), son of Devi Prasad, Gonda UP, Atul Kumar Mishra (31), S/o Rajesh Mishra, Banaras UP, Neha Mishra, wife of Atul Mishra, Banaras UP, Sharda Devi (30), w/o Rajat Ram, Balrampur UP, Tarun Kumar(24), S/o Vinod Kumar, Meerut UP, Shivani Gupta (26), wife of Sourav Gupta, Delhi, Deepak Kumar (37), S/o Kailash Nath Rai, UP, Pardeep Kumar (38), son of Harpal Singh, Meerut UP, Soni Devi (35), D/o Thakur Parsad, Gorakhpur UP and Bitan Gupta (40), W/o Rajesh Kumar Gupta, Ayodhya UP
Timeline of terror attacks:
December 21, 2023: Four soldiers killed in Bafliaz on Mughal road in Poonch district
April 27, 2024: One VDG member killed in Basantgarh area of Udhampur district
May 4, 2024: One IAF personnel killed in Sani forests in Surankore area of Poonch district
June 9, 2024: Nine people killed in Pouni area of Reasi district.(KNO)
