NIA conducts raids at 5 locations in J&K’s Rajouri in Reasi terror attack case
Terrorists opened fire at a bus carrying pilgrims in J&K’s Reasi on June 9, causing it to veer off the road and fall into a deep gorge. Nine people were killed and 42 others were injured in the incident
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday carried out raids at five locations in Rajouri belonging to hybrid terrorists and overground workers (OGWs) in connection with terror attack on a bus carrying pilgrims in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir on June 9.
The searches were conducted based on the interrogation of Hakam Khan, an OGW arrested by J&K police on June 19.
Two masked terrorists opened indiscriminate fire at a 53-seater bus on its way from the Shiv Khori temple in Reasi to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra, causing it to veer off the road and fall into a deep gorge near the Teryath village of the Poni area on June 9. The bus was ferrying pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi. Nine people, including a local driver and conductor of the bus, were killed while 42 received injuries in the incident.
“NIA, which took over the investigation on June 15 on orders from the ministry of home affairs searched five locations linked with hybrid terrorists and Overground Workers (OGWs). The locations were pointed out by the arrested accused, Hakam Khan alias Hakin din,” said the agency in a statement.
Hakam, it said, “had provided them with safe shelter, logistics and food, as per NIA investigations.”
The federal agency further claimed the searches led to the seizure of various items showing linkages between the terrorists and OGWs.
It is investigating a larger international conspiracy as part of a multi-pronged crackdown on the latest “guerrilla” type hit-and-run attacks by Pakistan-trained terrorists in Jammu region.
The investigators are not ruling out a change in pattern of use of well-trained Pakistani terrorists or even Pakistan army regulars in these latest attacks, in contrast with the use of local “hybrid” terrorists — who doubled up as overground workers and attackers — in 2022, when large number of labourers and Kashmiri Pandits were attacked in the Kashmir Valley.
Union home minister Amit Shah has directed the security forces to “replicate the successes achieved in Kashmir valley against terrorism” in the Jammu region.
He has also stressed on the importance of using modern technology to strengthen local intelligence networks, locate tunnels used by terrorists and deal with the drone intrusions, underlining that security forces and intelligence agencies need to work on “mission mode” and streamline coordination.
Currently, there is heightened security in J&K due to ongoing Amarnath Yatra.
