Reasi Terror Attack: Pakistan-backed TRF claims responsibility for June 9 ambush on bus carrying pilgrims

The incident occurred as the bus was returning from the Shiv Khori shrine en route to Katra, the base camp of the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine.

Pakistan-backed The Resistance Front (TRF), on June 10, claimed responsibility for the terror attack on a bus carrying pilgrims in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district on June 9, resulting in nine deaths and 33 injuries. In a message, the TRF warned of more attacks targeting "tourists and non-locals" and described the Reasi attack as just the "beginning of a renewed start."

A massive search operation has been launched to track down the terrorists. Security has been bolstered in the area. According to media reports, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has been assigned to investigate the attack.

In 2023, The Resistance Front (TRF) was designated as a terrorist organisation by India. Founded in 2019 following the abrogation of Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, this outfit has been involved in numerous terror attacks. Sources indicate that the terrorists involved in the recent attack were Pakistanis and part of the same group active in the south of the Pir Panjal region for the past two years.

The incident occurred as the bus was returning from the Shiv Khori shrine en route to Katra, the base camp of the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine. Terrorists hiding in a nearby forest ambushed the vehicle and opened fire. The driver was hit by a bullet, causing him to lose control and the bus to roll down a gorge. Both the driver and the conductor were killed in the attack.

The search operation for the terrorists includes the use of drones to scan the dense vegetation around the attack site. Additionally, a team from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) has joined the efforts.

According to authorities cited by PTI, some of the victims have been identified. Most victims were from Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. The driver and conductor of the bus, who were killed in the attack, were identified as residents of Reasi. Among the injured, 34 are from Uttar Pradesh, five from Delhi, and two from Rajasthan.