NEW DELHI: Jammu and Kashmir police have announced a reward of Rs 20 lakh for information about the Reasi terror attack. Police have also released a sketch of one of the terrorists involved.
Ten people were killed and 33 injured as terrorists open fired on a bus carrying pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district on June 10, following which the vehicle fell into a gorge, a senior police officer said.
The bus was on its way back from the Shiv Khori cave shrine to Katra, a town famous for the Vaishno Devi temple, traveling along a link road of NH144A that passes through dense forests and hilly terrain.
Residents and authorities carried out rescue efforts, while security forces, including police, Army, and CRPF personnel, launched a search operation to apprehend the attackers. The area, situated 100km northwest of Jammu, has been sealed off.
According to Reasi SSP Mohita Sharma, the terrorists were waiting for the bus. The driver was hit by gunfire, causing him to lose control of the vehicle. Bullet shells were discovered from the site. Preliminary reports suggest that two masked terrorists fired at the bus, striking the driver. The identities of the dead and injured have not yet been confirmed, but it is believed that the pilgrims are from Uttar Pradesh.
This ambush indicates a potential expansion of terrorist activities into new regions, as Reasi district had previously remained unaffected by the recent wave of attacks in the neighboring districts of Rajouri and Poonch.
The Pir Panjal route, known for its challenging terrain, is often used by terrorists to infiltrate into Jammu from the LoC in Poonch and Rajouri before proceeding towards Kashmir.
Attack by Pak-based terrorists?
Sources suspect the involvement of Illiyas Fauji, an ex-Pakistani army SSG commando who turned LeT operative, and two other terrorists from Pakistan, who have been on the run since the deadly attack on an IAF convoy in Poonch on May 4.
The most recent attack in Reasi occurred on May 13, 2022, when terrorists used “sticky bombs” on a bus transporting pilgrims from Katra to Jammu, resulting in four fatalities and 13 injuries.
(With agency inputs)
Ten people were killed and 33 injured as terrorists open fired on a bus carrying pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district on June 10, following which the vehicle fell into a gorge, a senior police officer said.
The bus was on its way back from the Shiv Khori cave shrine to Katra, a town famous for the Vaishno Devi temple, traveling along a link road of NH144A that passes through dense forests and hilly terrain.
Residents and authorities carried out rescue efforts, while security forces, including police, Army, and CRPF personnel, launched a search operation to apprehend the attackers. The area, situated 100km northwest of Jammu, has been sealed off.
According to Reasi SSP Mohita Sharma, the terrorists were waiting for the bus. The driver was hit by gunfire, causing him to lose control of the vehicle. Bullet shells were discovered from the site. Preliminary reports suggest that two masked terrorists fired at the bus, striking the driver. The identities of the dead and injured have not yet been confirmed, but it is believed that the pilgrims are from Uttar Pradesh.
This ambush indicates a potential expansion of terrorist activities into new regions, as Reasi district had previously remained unaffected by the recent wave of attacks in the neighboring districts of Rajouri and Poonch.
The Pir Panjal route, known for its challenging terrain, is often used by terrorists to infiltrate into Jammu from the LoC in Poonch and Rajouri before proceeding towards Kashmir.
Attack by Pak-based terrorists?
Sources suspect the involvement of Illiyas Fauji, an ex-Pakistani army SSG commando who turned LeT operative, and two other terrorists from Pakistan, who have been on the run since the deadly attack on an IAF convoy in Poonch on May 4.
The most recent attack in Reasi occurred on May 13, 2022, when terrorists used “sticky bombs” on a bus transporting pilgrims from Katra to Jammu, resulting in four fatalities and 13 injuries.
(With agency inputs)