At least 10 people have been killed and 33 injured in India after suspected militants fired at a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims in Jammu and Kashmir. The bus driver lost control, causing it to plunge into a gorge in Reasi district of Jammu, police officials said. While rescue operations have concluded, the Indian army and police are conducting a search operation to track down the attackers.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken “stock of the situation” and requested the best medical care for the injured. “All those behind this heinous act will be punished soon,” wrote Manoj Sinha, the region’s top administrator, on X (formerly Twitter).
The bus was en route to the base camp of the famous Hindu shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi when it was ambushed. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but district police chief Mohita Sharma said that suspected militants were behind the assault.
Kashmir has been a flashpoint between India and Pakistan for over six decades. Since 1947, the nuclear-armed neighbors have fought two wars over the Muslim-majority territory, which both claim in full but control in part. Since 1989, Indian-administered Kashmir has also experienced an armed insurgency against Delhi’s rule, claiming thousands of lives. Delhi has accused Islamabad of harboring militants and disrupting peace in the region.
News of the attack occurred as Prime Minister Modi took oath for his third consecutive term in Delhi. Although the passengers haven’t been identified, they are believed to be from the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, according to Ms. Sharma.
Amit Shah, former home minister in Modi’s previous government, expressed grief over the incident, stating, “The culprits of this dastardly attack will not be spared and will face the wrath of the law.” Rahul Gandhi, leader of the main opposition party Congress, questioned the security situation in the region, calling the incident a “true picture of the worrying security situation in Jammu and Kashmir.”
Melissa Enoch
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