Three foreign terrorists were involved in the attack on a civilian bus in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi on Sunday evening. The region is currently home to three active terror groups.
Unconfirmed reports suggest that at least two terrorists are hiding in the upper, forested areas of the Reasi region, making it difficult for security forces to access and search. A massive search operation is underway to locate them.
Sources revealed that the terrorists used M4 carbines, American-made assault rifles developed in the 1980s and widely used by militaries worldwide. A variant of these rifles is reportedly in service with Pakistani special forces and the Special Security Unit of the Sindh Police.
The Reasi attack, which resulted in nine deaths and 33 injuries, has set alarm bells ringing at the highest levels of India’s intelligence services, particularly since it occurred on the day Narendra Modi took the oath as Prime Minister for a record third consecutive term.
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha condemned the attack, stating that Prime Minister Modi is personally monitoring the situation. “The guilty will not be spared,” Sinha declared. “I strongly condemn the cowardly terror attack on a bus in Reasi. My condolences to the family members of the martyred civilians. Our security forces and police have launched a joint operation to hunt down the terrorists.”
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The bus, carrying 53 people to the Shiv Khori cave temple, veered off the road and fell into a gorge near the village of Teryath after the first barrage of gunfire. Disturbing visuals showed scattered bodies and the damaged bus.
Prime Minister Modi, who had taken the oath in a grand ceremony in Delhi approximately 700 km away, has been in touch with Lieutenant Governor Sinha. Modi asked Sinha to “constantly monitor the situation.”
President Droupadi Murmu and Home Minister Amit Shah, who was sworn in as a cabinet minister in the Modi 3.0 government, also expressed their condolences. Shah stated he was “deeply pained” by the attack, adding, “Culprits of this dastardly attack will not be spared and will face the wrath of the law.”
From the opposition, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi condemned the “cowardly attack,” calling it “the true picture of the worrying security situation in J&K.” His sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, added, “Terrorism is a violent act against humanity.”
This attack marks a significant escalation in violence in the region. Reasi district has been relatively untouched by terrorist activities compared to neighbouring Rajouri and Poonch.
Notably, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has begun the process to hold the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections and has issued a notification to the tune.
