Jammu bus attack: Search on for terrorists; Army deploys drones to comb through forests

The Indian Army and other security personnel have launched a search operation for terrorists involved in the attack on a bus carrying pilgrims in  Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district on Sunday evening. 

The search operations are helmed by the Indian Army, with the aid of the State Disaster Response Force members. Drones have been deployed to comb through the nearby forests where the terrorists are suspected to be hiding. 

Besides roping in security forces from Reasi and the neighbouring Rajouri district to locate and eliminate the terrorists, the authorities have also set up a temporary operation headquarters involving the  Police, Army and CRPF.

Meanwhile, the death toll in the terror attack touched 10 on Monday morning. DIG Reasi Udhampur range Rayees Mohammad Bhat, who reached the spot, confirmed that 10 people lost their lives and several were injured.

The bus carrying pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh and Delhi plunged into a deep gorge after an ambush by terrorists. The militants opened fire at the bus when it was en route from Shiv Khori temple to Mata Vaishno Devi shrine at Katra near Teryath village in the Poni area. The bus, a 53-seater, veered off the road and plunged into the deep gorge following the gunfire at around 6:15 pm.

 "An unfortunate incident occurred and as per the initial reports, the terrorists had laid an ambush and opened fire on the bus which had left Shiv Khori for Katra. The driver lost balance and the vehicle fell into the gorge," Senior Superintendent of Police, Reasi, Mohita Sharma told reporters at the scene.

Police have not revealed the identity of the deceased but preliminary reports suggest that they all belong to Uttar Pradesh. 

A bus after it plunged into a gorge following an ambush by terrorists, in Reasi district | PTI

According to eyewitnesses, the bus was barraged with 25 to 30 shots before it plunged down the gorge. One witness recalled seeing a masked assailant in a red muffler firing on the bus. "We were supposed to leave at 4 pm but the bus left around 5.30 pm and suddenly came under fire," an injured pilgrim from Banaras, admitted to Teryath hospital, said.

A UP resident who was injured in the attack said he was sitting next to the bus driver and the vehicle was coming downhill from dense forests when the attack happened. "I saw a man wearing army-like clothes and covering his face and head with black cloth appear in front of the bus and fired indiscriminately," the pilgrim identified as Santhosh Kumar told PTI. 

"The driver was hit in the firing and the bus plunged into the gorge," he said, adding the terrorists continued the firing for several minutes on the bus.

Reasi district had previously been relatively untouched by terrorist activities compared to neighbouring areas like Rajouri and Poonch.

Union Minister Amit Shah has warned of repercussions for the attack while praying for the speedy recovery of the injured. "Deeply pained by the incident of the attack on pilgrims in Reasi, J&K. Spoke to the Lieutenant Governor and the DGP, J&K, and inquired about the incident. The culprits of this dastardly attack will not be spared and will face the wrath of the law. The local administration is working on a war footing to provide immediate medical attention," Shah said.