A manhunt is underway for three Pakistani terrorists affiliated to Lashkar-e-Taiba who were responsible for a bus attack in the Reasi area of Jammu and Kashmir. The attack on pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Delhi resulted in 9 deaths and 41 injuries.
Jammu: Three Pakistani terrorists connected to Lashkar-e-Taiba are being sought by commandos, drones, and military dogs in a coordinated manhunt. They were the ones behind Sunday’s ambush on a bus carrying pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Delhi in the Reasi district of J&K, which resulted in nine fatalities—including a two-year-old boy—and forty-one injuries.
Image Source: Indian Express
The bus was shot at by masked terrorists wearing battle gear akin to those of the military near Teryath Village in the Poni region. The driver was hit, forcing the bus to deviate off the road and slide down the slope until landing upright on a ledge. Security sources claim that bullet shells discovered at the scene show the terrorists employed a variety of weapons, including the M4 Carbine, a shorter and lighter variant of the M16 assault rifle.
All nine victims—including the conductor and driver—have been identified, according to Reasi DCP Vishesh Paul Mahajan. Among the fatalities were members of the Saini family, who were textile trader Rajendra Saini (42), his wife Mamta Saini (40), and Rajendra’s niece Pooja Saini (30) and her two-year-old son Ttitu. The Saini family lived in Panchya Ki Dhani hamlet in Chomu, Rajasthan, which is about 40 kilometers from Jaipur.
Along with bus driver Vijay Kumar and conductor Arun Kumar, both Reasi residents, Sorab Gupta, 23-year-old Ruby, and 14-year-old Anurag Verma died in the attack from Uttar Pradesh.
Nine pilgrims—including Pooja’s husband Pawan Saini, 35—were shot out of a total of forty-one. Hospitals in the districts of Reasi and Jammu are treating them. The injured are 50 years old on average; 35 are from Uttar Pradesh, one from Greater Noida, five from Delhi, and one from Rajasthan.
From the Mata Vaishno Devi temple in Katra, the bus was returning from the Shiv Khori cave shrine. Dinesh Saini, Rajendra’s nephew, spoke out in Chomu amid a big crowd at the family’s home, saying, “5 members of our family had gone to Vaishno Devi.” The gathering yelled anti-government chants for neglecting to give pilgrims in J&K protection.
Mamta and Rajendra left behind three small children: a girl and two boys. A relative claims that the kids don’t know the truth. “they are only aware that their parents were harmed in a road accident in Jammu and are being brought back to Jaipur for treatment” , she continued.
As part of the continuing inquiry, survivors are recording their statements at this time. The accounts from the survivors have not prevented officials from considering the likelihood that a fourth individual was watching out for the three attackers.
44-year-old Santosh Kumar Verma of the Balrampur district in Uttar Pradesh praised God that he, his wife Geeta Devi, and their 6-year-old son Shiva survived the attack.
The lieutenant governor of J&K, Manoj Sinha, made an ex gratia of Rs. 50,000 for the injured and Rs. 10 lakhs for the relatives of the bereaved.
Image Source: Indian Express
A coordinated operation comprising the J&K Police, Army, NIA, and other Central intelligence agencies was started after the incident. Security personnel believe the terrorists are concealed in the higher reaches of nearby Rajouri, a region distinguished by thick woodlands, steep gorges, and dense forests.
The Pakistan-backed LeT’s shadow organization, the Resistance Front (TRF), first took credit for Sunday’s attack but then withdrew that claim. An affiliate of Jaish-e-Mohammed, the people’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), likewise denied any role in the attack.
Protests against Pakistan broke out in the Jammu area, including Kathua district, Doda town, and Katra, with demands for more security.
