J&K bus terror attack: L-G reviews security situation

Jammu: A massive manhunt is underway for three foreign terrorists, possibly of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, responsible for the deadly attack on pilgrims in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi that resulted in the loss of nine lives, including a two-year-old, officials said on Monday.

Lt Governor Manoj Sinha visited the injured in Jammu and Reasi hospitals and chaired a high-level meeting to review the security situation.

Deputy Inspector General of Police, Udhampur-Reasi Range, Rayees Mohammad Bhat said they have got some leads as 11 teams of police, army and CRPF are jointly working on two different axes to neutralise the fleeing terrorists. Based on the statements recorded by those injured in the attack, the officials said they have not ruled out the possibility of a fourth person being present at the spot who acted as a lookout for the three terrorists.

Nine people were killed and 41 injured as the terrorists opened fire at the 53-seater bus, which was on its way from the Shiv Khori temple to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra, causing it to veer off the road and fall into a deep gorge near the Teryath village of the Poni area of Reasi on Sunday evening.

The bus was ferrying pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi.

Following the attack, a joint operation was launched involving the police, the Army, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and central intelligence agencies. Survivors of the attack are recording their statements as part of the ongoing probe into the attack, while a thorough combing operation is underway to track down the perpetrators, the officials said, adding several persons were detained for questioning.