Bus Attack in India's Jammu Kills 10 Pilgrims
Police officials have disclosed the death of at least 10 people, and 33 injured after suspected militants fired on a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims in the Indian federal territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Officials say the bus was on its way to the base camp of the famous Hindu shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi when it was fired upon. The driver lost control, causing the bus to plunge into a gorge in Reasi district of Jammu, they added.
Although rescue operations have concluded, a search operation by the Indian army and police is under way to track down the attackers.
Reports also note that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had taken "stock of the situation" and requested for the best medical care for those injured.
"All those behind this heinous act will be punished soon," Manoj Sinha, the region's top administrator, wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack but Mohita Sharma, the district police chief, told Reuters that suspected militants had "ambushed the bus".
The Himalayan region of Kashmir has been a contentious issue between India and Pakistan for over sixty years.
Since 1947, the two nuclear-armed nations have engaged in two wars over this Muslim-majority territory, which both countries claim entirely but only partially control. Starting in 1989, Indian-administered Kashmir has also experienced an armed insurgency against Delhi's governance, resulting in thousands of casualties.
Delhi accuses Islamabad of supporting militants and destabilizing the region, accusations that Pakistan denies.
News of Sunday's attack emerged as Mr. Modi was sworn in for a third consecutive term as India's prime minister in a ceremony in Delhi.
The passengers are yet to be identified but it is believed they are from the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, Ms Sharma told a newspaper.
Amit Shah, who was home minister in Mr Modi's previous government, expressed grief over the incident.
"The culprits of this dastardly attack will not be spared and will face the wrath of the law," he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Rahul Gandhi, the leader of main opposition party Congress, questioned the security situation in the region.
"This shameful incident is the true picture of the worrying security situation in Jammu and Kashmir," he wrote on X.
In 2017, seven Hindu pilgrims, including six women, were killed when their bus, returning from the renowned Amarnath pilgrimage site in Anantnag district, became caught in a gunfight between police and militants.
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