Jammu and Kashmir: 10 Hindu pilgrims killed in bus attack in Reasi

At least 10 people were killed and 33 injured when suspected insurgents opened fire on a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, police officials said.

The driver lost control and the bus fell into a ravine in Reasi district of Jammu, they added.

While the rescue operations are being completed, a search operation by the Indian army and police is currently underway to track down the attackers.

Officials said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had taken stock of the situation and asked for the injured to be provided with the best possible medical care.

“All those behind this heinous act will be punished soon,” Manoj Sinha, the region’s chief administrator, wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

According to officials, the bus was on its way to the base camp of the famous Hindu shrine Mata Vaishno Devi when it was shot at.

No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, but Mohita Sharma, the district police chief, told Reuters that suspected insurgents “attacked the bus.”

The Himalayan region of Kashmir has been a source of conflict between India and Pakistan for over sixty years.

Since 1947, the nuclear-armed neighbors have fought two wars over the Muslim-majority territory, which both claim in full but control only partially. Since 1989, there has also been an armed insurgency against Delhi rule in Indian-administered Kashmir, which has claimed thousands of lives.

Delhi accuses Islamabad of harboring militants and disturbing peace in the region. Pakistan denies this accusation.

News of Sunday’s attack came to light as Modi was taking oath of office as Indian prime minister for a third consecutive term at a swearing-in ceremony in Delhi.

The identities of the passengers have not yet been established, but it is assumed that they are from the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, Ms Sharma told a newspaper.

Photos showed several injured people, including a woman, being taken to a hospital in Jammu for treatment.

Amit Shah, home minister in Modi’s previous government, expressed his sadness over the incident.

“Those guilty of this heinous attack will not be spared and will have to face the full force of the law,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the main opposition Congress party, questioned the security situation in the region.

“This shameful incident is the true picture of the worrying security situation in Jammu and Kashmir,” he wrote on X.