Jammu- Fifty people have been detained in connection with the investigation into the recent terror attack on a bus carrying pilgrims in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said on Thursday.
To ensure a comprehensive probe, the search operation to track down the terrorists, has been expanded to cover Reasi district’s far-flung Arnas and Mahore areas which were terrorist hotbeds between 1995 and 2005.
On Sunday, terrorists opened fire on a 53-seater bus carrying pilgrims when it was en route to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra from the Shiv Khori temple. The bus, ferrying pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi, plunged into a deep gorge following the gunfire, killing nine people and injuring 41 others.
Confirming the detention of 50 suspects in connection with the attack, a police spokesperson said it followed an intensive investigation.
“Significant leads have been uncovered, aiding in the identification and capture of those who may be potentially involved in orchestrating the attack. To ensure a comprehensive probe, search operations have been expanded to cover the far-flung areas of Arnas and Mahore,” the spokesperson said.
He said these operations aim to uncover further evidence and apprehend terrorists who may be hiding in these remote regions.
Police have already released a sketch of one of the terrorists and announced a cash reward of Rs 20 lakh for information leading to the neutralization of the culprits.
“The law enforcement agencies are committed to bringing the perpetrators to justice and ensuring the safety and security of all residents and visitors in the area,” the spokesperson said.
Senior Superintendent of Police, Reasi, Mohita Sharma urged people to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the authorities immediately.
Meanwhile, massive search operations continued on Thursday in forest belts of different districts of Jammu and Kashmir to track down and neutralise terrorists involved in recent attacks in the union territory, officials said.
Police joined the paramilitary forces in searches in the Narwal bypass area on the outskirts of Jammu after a woman reported suspicious movement of two persons, they said.
The officials said Army, police and paramilitary forces resumed search operations in the morning in Kota top in Gandoh, Chattagalla and adjoining areas in Doda district where seven security personnel, including two policemen, were injured in separate gunfights with terrorists on Tuesday and Wednesday.
There has been no fresh contact with the fleeing terrorists so far, they said.
Police had on Wednesday released sketches of four terrorists involved in two attacks in the district and announced a reward of Rs 20 lakh for information leading to their arrest.
Earlier, police had announced a cash reward of Rs 20 lakh and released the sketch of one of the terrorists involved in Sunday’s attack on a bus carrying pilgrims in Reasi district that left nine people dead and 41 injured.
Searches are underway in Reasi as well as adjoining Rajouri district. A person who resembled the terrorist’s sketch was detained from a bus in Reasi in the afternoon and whisked away for questioning, the officials said.
Searches are also being conducted in Nowshera in Rajouri and adjoining Poonch. Security forces in Kathua, Samba and Jammu districts have also been put on alert in view of intelligence inputs about a possible terror threat, they said.
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