Nine people have tragically lost their lives and 33 others have been injured in a horrific attack on a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims in the Indian federal territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The incident, which occurred in the Reasi district of Jammu, has left the nation in shock and mourning.
According to police officials, suspected militants fired upon the bus, causing the driver to lose control and the bus to plunge into a gorge. While rescue operations have concluded, a search operation is currently underway to track down the attackers.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken stock of the situation and has ensured that the best medical care is being provided to the injured. The region’s top administrator, Manoj Sinha, has vowed that those responsible for this heinous act will be punished soon.
The bus was en route to the base camp of the famous Hindu shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi when it was attacked. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet, but authorities believe that suspected militants ambushed the bus.
The region of Kashmir has been a longstanding point of contention between India and Pakistan, with both countries claiming the territory in full but controlling it in part. The area has seen armed insurgency against Indian rule since 1989, resulting in thousands of lives lost.
As the news of the attack broke, Mr. Modi was taking oath as India’s prime minister for the third consecutive term in Delhi. The victims of the attack, including two children aged two years and 14, hailed from the states of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.
Survivors of the attack have shared harrowing accounts of the incident, with one individual recounting that the firing did not cease even after the bus fell into the gorge. Political leaders, including former home minister Amit Shah and opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, have expressed grief and concern over the security situation in the region.
This tragic incident serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing tensions and violence in the region, with past attacks on Hindu pilgrims highlighting the need for increased security measures to protect innocent lives.
