Reasi bus ambush: Anti-Pak protests erupt in Jammu, commandos & drones hunt for terrorists

JAMMU: A synchronised manhunt with commandos, drones and military dogs is underway for three Pakistani terrorists linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba responsible for Sunday’s ambush on a bus carrying pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi in Reasi district of J&K that left nine people dead, including a two-year-old boy, and injured 41 others, officials said Monday.

Masked terrorists in military-style combat fatigue fired at the bus on a mountainous road near Teryath village in Poni area. The driver was hit, causing the bus to veer off the road and roll down the mountainside before settling upright on a ledge. According to security sources, bullet shells found at the site indicate that the terrorists used several weapons, including M4 Carbine, a lighter and shorter version of M16 assault rifle.

Reasi DCP Vishesh Paul Mahajan confirmed that all nine victims, including the driver and the conductor, have been identified. The deceased include four members of a family from Panchya Ki Dhani village in Rajasthan’s Chomu, about 40km from Jaipur — cloth merchant Rajendra Saini (42), his wife Mamta Saini (40), Rajendra’s niece Pooja Saini (30), and her two-year-old son Titu.

From UP, Sorab Gupta, 23-year-old Ruby and 14-year-old Anurag Verma died in the attack, along with bus driver Vijay Kumar and conductor Arun Kumar — both natives of Reasi.

Among the 41 injured pilgrims, nine suffered gunshot wounds, including Pooja’s husband Pawan Saini (35). They are being treated in hospitals in Jammu and Reasi districts. The injured range in age from three to 50 years, with 35 hailing from UP, including one from Greater Noida, five from Delhi, and one from Rajasthan.

The bus was returning from Shiv Khori cave shrine to Mata Vaishno Devi temple in Katra. “Five members of our family had gone to Vaishno Devi,” said Rajendra’s nephew Dinesh Saini in Chomu, amidst a large gathering at the family’s home. The crowd shouted slogans against govt for failing to provide security to pilgrims in J&K.

Mamta and Rajendra are survived by their three young children — a daughter and two sons. According to a relative, the children are unaware of the truth. “They only know that their parents were injured in a road accident in Jammu and are being brought to Jaipur for treatment,” she said.

Survivors are currently recording their statements as part of the ongoing investigation. Officials have not ruled out the possibility of a fourth person acting as a lookout for the three terrorists, based on statements from the injured.

Santosh Kumar Verma, a 44-year-old from Balrampur district in UP, thanked god for surviving the attack along with his wife Geeta Devi and their six-year-old son Shiva. “I was in the front seat of the bus when a terrorist standing on the road fired at the bus driver, who slumped in his seat and the bus careened off the road and plunged down. The terrorist continued to spray bullets on the bus as it went down the slope. The terrorist targeted passengers screaming for help. We asked everyone to calm down and pretend to be dead. After staying quiet for a few minutes, the terrorist moved away,” he said.

J&K lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha announced an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured. “The attack is a despicable attempt to instigate turmoil in Jammu, but we are resolute in our commitment to safeguard the region,” Sinha said, adding that PM Narendra Modi and Union minister Amit Shah have been briefed on the situation.

Following the attack, a joint operation was launched involving J&K police, Army, NIA, and other central intelligence agencies. Security forces suspect the terrorists are hiding in the upper reaches of neighbouring Rajouri, an area characterised by dense forests and deep gorges.

The Resistance Front (TRF), a shadow group of Pakistan-backed LeT, initially claimed responsibility for Sunday’s attack, but later retracted the statement. People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), an offshoot of Jaish-e-Mohammed, also denied its involvement in the attack.

Anti-Pakistan protests erupted across the Jammu region, including Katra, Doda town, and Kathua district, calling for increased security measures. Congress held a rally in Jammu, condemning the attack and shouting slogans against Pakistan. VHP, Bajrang Dal, and Sanatan Dharam Sabha workers also held protest marches. Hurriyat Conference condemned the attack, saying: “The loss of precious human lives is deeply disturbing.”

(Inputs from Ashish Mehta in Jaipur, Arvind Chauhan in Lucknow)

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