Indian soldiers have launched an extensive manhunt in the Reasi area of Kashmir after a deadly ambush on a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims. On Sunday evening, gunmen opened fire on the vehicle, resulting in the deaths of nine people and injuries to dozens more as the bus careened into a ravine. This assault occurred just before Prime Minister Narendra Modi was sworn in for his third term in New Delhi.
Reports from Indian media confirmed that the victims included at least one child. Authorities have vowed to take swift action. Manoj Sinha, Kashmir’s top political official, announced that a joint military operation is in progress to apprehend the attackers. “Operation is underway to neutralise the perpetrators,” Sinha stated, adding that a compensation of $12,000 will be provided to each of the families of the deceased.
Interior Minister Amit Shah, who also took his oath of office after Modi, declared, “The culprits of this heinous attack will not be spared.”
Kashmir, a region disputed between India and Pakistan, has long been plagued by violence. Since 1989, various rebel groups have fought for either independence or a merger with Pakistan, leading to significant casualties among civilians, soldiers, and rebels.
In recent years, violence has declined since the Modi government revoked Kashmir’s limited autonomy in 2019. However, sporadic violence persists, with recent elections witnessing a high turnout and no calls for a boycott by separatist groups. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi condemned the attack as “shameful” and indicative of the “alarming security situation in Jammu and Kashmir.”
Since election campaigning commenced in April, clashes have resulted in the deaths of five rebels and an Indian air force corporal. The conflict in Kashmir remains a major point of contention between India and Pakistan, with India accusing Pakistan of supporting the rebels, an allegation that Pakistan denies.
