STATE TIMES NEWS

Jammu: Extensive efforts to track down terrorists involved in the attack on pilgrims in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district continued on Tuesday, with 11 teams of security personnel working on the ground and a multi-directional cordon laid around the Ranso-Poni-Treyath belt, officials said.
A National Investigation Agency (NIA) team also joined the operation and scanned the area for leads, they said.
Security forces have sounded a high alert in Jammu and Rajouri districts and intensified checking and frisking in the belt following the terror attack that left nine dead and 41 injured.
According to the officials, more than 20 people have been detained for questioning. On Sunday, terrorists opened fire at the 53-seater bus carrying pilgrims when it was en route from the Shiv Khori temple to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra near Teryath village in the Poni area.
The bus, which was ferrying pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi, plunged into a deep gorge following the gunfire.
Deputy Inspector General of Police, Udhampur-Reasi Range, Rayees Mohammad Bhat said the security forces have got some leads as 11 teams of police, Army and CRPF are jointly working on two different axes to neutralise the fleeing terrorists.
“The search operation is going on today in and around the area (where the attack took place) with 11 teams working on the ground apart from a multi-directional cordon laid around the (Poni-Treyath) belt,” another senior police officer said.
The officials said that based on the statements of those injured in the attack, they have not ruled out the possibility of a fourth person being present at the spot who acted as a lookout for the three terrorists.
Sources said security forces suspect the Pakistani terrorists are hiding in the mountainous terrains of Rajouri and Reasi and have intensified combing operations in the region. They are taking directions from Pakistan’s ISI through secured communication, the sources said.
There are reports that four terrorists including a local over ground worker were involved in the attack which was carried out on the directions of Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Abu Hamza, they said.
The NIA team visited the attack site for the second consecutive day on Tuesday. It examined the entire area, including the bus, and recreated the scene of the attack. They have also questioned some of the detainees to gather leads related to the attack.
Armed with surveillance equipment, including drones, and sniffer dogs, the security personnel launched the massive combing operation on Monday. A chopper was also pressed into service to keep an eye on movement in the area.
Of the 41 people injured in the attack, 10 sustained bullet wounds. Bus driver Vijay Sharma died of multiple bullet wounds. As many as 11 bullet marks were found at various places on the bus, the officials said.
The teams of NIA, State Investigation Agency (SIA) and forensic department joined the probe on Monday.

Devotees continue to visit Shiv Khori despite terror attack

Reasi : Undeterred by the terrorist attack on a pilgrim bus that left nine dead Sunday evening, devotees keep steaming in to visit the Shiv Khori temple as usual, reposing faith in the security forces and the god.
On Tuesday, devotees were seen making a brief stopover near the site of the incident near Teryath village of the Poni area and raised slogans like ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ and ‘Bharatiya Sena Zindabad’ and praying for the dead. “We came to know about the terror attack through news but decided to continue our journey to have darshan of Mata Rani (Vaishno Devi),” Parmeela Bajaj, a part of a 20-member group from Maharashtra, told PTI.
The group was on its way to Shiv Khori temple after praying at Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine when it stopped at the scene of Sunday’s terror attack to have a look at the spot where the attacked bus still lay in a gorge.
“Whatever happened was terrible. The dead included a two-year-old boy and his mother … We pray for the departed souls,” Bajaj said.
Terrorists opened fire at the 53-seater bus, which was on its way to Katra from the Shiv Khori temple, causing it to veer off the road and fall into a deep gorge. Forty-one persons were also injured in the attack.
The bus was ferrying pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Delhi.
“Fear is natural but we have full faith in our security forces who defend our country without fear for their lives. We have faith in our Lord,” Mangla Mahajan, also from Maharashtra, said.
A massive hunt is on for three suspected foreign terrorists of the Lashkar-e-Taiba outfit, with 11 teams of police, Army and CRPF jointly combing the dense forest area for a third day on the trot.
“We have full confidence that our forces will track down the terrorists and punish them. When it comes to our army, we have no fear,” Mahajan said.
Nitin, another devotee, said there was no doubt in their minds about their safety when they left their home state for Jammu and Kashmir.
“We performed darshan at Vaishno Devi and are now heading for Shiv Khori … The attackers will be punished as our army is carrying out a massive hunt for them,” he said, adding, “We pray for good sense to prevail in the enemy camp otherwise our forces will wipe them out.”
Authorities said there was no drop in the rush to the famous Vaishno Devi shrine, located in the Trikuta hills, over 80 km from Shiv Khori temple.
“Adequate security arrangements are in place at both Vaishno Devi and Shiv Khori temples. A fresh security review of both places was carried out in the wake of the terror attack,” an official said.
Security has been beefed up on the main road leading to Shiv Khori from both the Reasi and Rajouri sides with the deployment of additional security forces, the person said.

Police announces Rs 20 lakh for info on terrorists involved, releases sketch

Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Tuesday released a sketch of a terrorist involved in the attack on a passenger bus in Reasi district and announced Rs 20 lakh reward for information about him.
On Sunday, terrorists opened fire at the 53-seater bus carrying pilgrims when it was en route from the Shiv Khori temple to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra near Teryath village in the Poni area.
The bus, which was ferrying pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi, plunged into a deep gorge following the gunfire, killing nine people and injuring 41 others.
“Reasi police announce a reward of Rs 20 lakh for any fruitful information about the whereabouts of the terrorist involved in the recent attack on the yatri bus in the area of Pouni,” a police spokesman said.
The sketch of the terrorist was prepared based on the description given by eyewitnesses, he said and appealed to people provide information.
Extensive efforts to track down the terrorists involved in the attack was underway on Tuesday, with 11 teams of security personnel working on the ground and a multi-directional cordon laid around the Ranso-Poni-Treyath belt, officials said.