REASI/JAMMU: As dawn broke on Monday, security personnel persisted in their extensive efforts to locate the terrorists responsible for the assault on a bus carrying pilgrims back from the Shiv Khori shrine in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district. The operation, which involved cordoning off the area and conducting thorough searches, aimed to apprehend those involved in the attack.Officials also reported the arrival of a team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) at the scene to evaluate the situation firsthand.
The terror attack, which occurred at approximately 6:10 p.m. on Sunday, claimed the lives of at least nine individuals and left 33 others injured, with victims hailing from Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. In the aftermath of the attack, the bus driver lost control of the vehicle, causing it to plummet into a deep gorge, further compounding the tragedy.
Official sources said, “Terrorists involved in the attack are believed to be hiding in the upper reaches of neighboring Rajouri and Reasi, as the axis of the two districts has a dense forest area and deep gorges. These provide ample opportunities for terrorists to camouflage and dodge the forces.”
The joint teams of the Army, police, and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) have established a multi-dimensional cordon around the Kunda-Teryath-Pouni-Shiv Khori shrine area, which borders the Rajouri district, as per officials. “Besides aerial surveillance by using drones, the security forces are using sniffer dogs to secure the ground in the targeted area and to continue the ongoing massive combing operation,” the officials said.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) team has also arrived at the location to evaluate the situation on the ground, according to official sources. Additionally, the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) teams have joined the operation to gather essential circumstantial evidence from the site of the terror incident.
Unofficial sources have suggested that the group of two to three terrorists responsible for the Reasi bus attack is believed to be part of the same group that has carried out other attacks in Rajouri and Poonch in recent times.
“As the pattern shows, they ambushed army vehicles in Rajouri and Poonch districts, attacked their target, and fled from the spot,” they said, citing examples from the past. These examples include an attack on the Indian Air Force (IAF) convoy near Sanai in Surankote tehsil of Poonch district, which killed one IAF personnel on May 4 this year; the December 21 ambush at Dera Ki Gali in the Bufliaz area of Surankote, in which four Army soldiers were martyred; and the April 20, 2023, ambush in which five Army bravehearts were martyred at Bhatta Durrian in Mendhar tehsil of Poonch district.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Reasi, Vishesh Paul Mahajan, talking to the media, said the district administration is arranging the dispatch of the bodies to their respective states.
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha condemned the attack and assured action against those behind it.
The terror attack, which occurred at approximately 6:10 p.m. on Sunday, claimed the lives of at least nine individuals and left 33 others injured, with victims hailing from Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. In the aftermath of the attack, the bus driver lost control of the vehicle, causing it to plummet into a deep gorge, further compounding the tragedy.
Official sources said, “Terrorists involved in the attack are believed to be hiding in the upper reaches of neighboring Rajouri and Reasi, as the axis of the two districts has a dense forest area and deep gorges. These provide ample opportunities for terrorists to camouflage and dodge the forces.”
The joint teams of the Army, police, and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) have established a multi-dimensional cordon around the Kunda-Teryath-Pouni-Shiv Khori shrine area, which borders the Rajouri district, as per officials. “Besides aerial surveillance by using drones, the security forces are using sniffer dogs to secure the ground in the targeted area and to continue the ongoing massive combing operation,” the officials said.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) team has also arrived at the location to evaluate the situation on the ground, according to official sources. Additionally, the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) teams have joined the operation to gather essential circumstantial evidence from the site of the terror incident.
Unofficial sources have suggested that the group of two to three terrorists responsible for the Reasi bus attack is believed to be part of the same group that has carried out other attacks in Rajouri and Poonch in recent times.
“As the pattern shows, they ambushed army vehicles in Rajouri and Poonch districts, attacked their target, and fled from the spot,” they said, citing examples from the past. These examples include an attack on the Indian Air Force (IAF) convoy near Sanai in Surankote tehsil of Poonch district, which killed one IAF personnel on May 4 this year; the December 21 ambush at Dera Ki Gali in the Bufliaz area of Surankote, in which four Army soldiers were martyred; and the April 20, 2023, ambush in which five Army bravehearts were martyred at Bhatta Durrian in Mendhar tehsil of Poonch district.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Reasi, Vishesh Paul Mahajan, talking to the media, said the district administration is arranging the dispatch of the bodies to their respective states.
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha condemned the attack and assured action against those behind it.
“I strongly condemn the cowardly terror attack on a bus in Reasi. My condolences to the family members of the martyred civilians. Our security forces and JKP have launched a joint operation to hunt down the terrorists,” the LG said in a post on X.
“PM Narendra Modi Ji took stock of the situation and has asked me to constantly monitor the situation. All those behind this heinous act will be punished soon. PM has also directed that all the injured are provided the best possible medical care and assistance,” added Sinha.
