Srinagar: At least nine pilgrims, including a child, were killed, and 33 other passengers were injured after terrorists opened fire at a bus carrying pilgrims from Shiv Khori cave shrine to Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district on Sunday evening.
President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti and Ghulam Nabi Azad, condemned the dastardly attack and condoled the loss of lives.
Calling the act as a crime against humanity President Murmu said, “I am anguished by the terrorist attack on a bus carrying pilgrims in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir. This dastardly act is a crime against humanity, and must be condemned in the strongest words. The nation stands with the families of the victims. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also took stock of the situation arising out of the terror attack and directed Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to constantly monitor the situation and ensure all possible help to the affected families. “The Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi took stock of the situation and directed me to constantly monitor the situation and to ensure all possible assistance to the families,” Sinha said in a post on X. The LG further said that security forces have launched a joint operation to hunt down the terrorists and those behind the attack will be punished soon.
Soon after taking oath as Union Minister, Amit Shah condemned the attack and said that those involved in the dastardly terror attack will not be spared and will face the wrath of the law. Shah said that he had spoken to LG Sinha and DGP R R Swain and took stock of the situation.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee expressed grief over the attack and demanded an investigation into the incident. “Learnt that there has been an incident of attack on some pilgrims in Jammu and Kashmir, and there have been consequently 9 deaths. The matter should be immediately investigated into. I convey my profound condolences to the victim families,” she said.
