Jammu: Intensive efforts to apprehend the terrorists responsible for the attack on pilgrims in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district continued on Tuesday, with 11 security teams actively engaged and a comprehensive cordon established around the Ranso-Poni-Treyath belt, officials reported.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has joined the operation, thoroughly scanning the area for leads.
Following the terror attack, which left nine dead and 41 injured, security forces have heightened alerts in Jammu and Rajouri districts, intensifying checks and frisking. Over 20 individuals have been detained for questioning, officials said.
The attack occurred on Sunday when terrorists fired upon a 53-seater bus carrying pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Delhi. The bus, en route from Shiv Khori temple to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra, plunged into a gorge after coming under fire.
Deputy Inspector General of Police for the Udhampur-Reasi Range, Rayees Mohammad Bhat, stated that security forces have obtained some leads, with 11 teams from the police, Army, and CRPF working on two different axes to neutralize the fleeing terrorists.
“The search operation is ongoing today in and around the attack area with 11 teams on the ground and a multi-directional cordon around the Poni-Treyath belt,” another senior police officer added.
Officials are investigating the possibility of a fourth individual acting as a lookout for the three terrorists based on statements from those injured in the attack. Sources suspect the Pakistani terrorists are hiding in the mountainous terrains of Rajouri and Reasi, directed by Pakistan’s ISI through secure communication.
Reports indicate four terrorists, including a local overground worker, were involved in the attack, orchestrated by Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Abu Hamza.
The NIA team revisited the attack site for a second consecutive day on Tuesday, examining the area, including the bus, and recreating the scene. They also questioned some detainees for leads.
Equipped with surveillance tools, drones, and sniffer dogs, security personnel launched a massive combing operation on Monday, with a helicopter monitoring area movements.
Of the 41 injured, 10 sustained bullet wounds. Bus driver Vijay Sharma died from multiple bullet wounds, and 11 bullet marks were found on the bus. Teams from the NIA, State Investigation Agency (SIA), and forensic department have joined the investigation.
