At least ten individuals have perished and thirty-three have been wounded following an attack by suspected militants on a bus transporting Hindu pilgrims in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, according to police officials.

The driver lost control, which led to the bus plunging into a gorge in the Reasi district of Jammu, according to the reports.

Rescue operations have ended, and the Indian army and police are currently conducting a search operation to locate the attackers.

Officials reported that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reviewed the situation and has requested that the injured receive the highest standard of medical care.

“All those behind this heinous act will be punished soon,” Manoj Sinha, the region’s top administrator, wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Officials report that the bus was en route to the base camp of the renowned Hindu shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi when it came under fire. Although no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, Mohita Sharma, the district police chief, informed Reuters that the bus was likely “ambushed by suspected militants.”

The Himalayan region of Kashmir has been a contentious area between India and Pakistan for over sixty years.

Since 1947, the two nuclear-armed countries have engaged in two wars over the Muslim-majority territory, which is fully claimed by both but only partially controlled. Since 1989, Indian-administered Kashmir has experienced an armed rebellion against Indian rule, resulting in thousands of deaths.

India accuses Pakistan of supporting militants and disrupting the region’s peace, an allegation Pakistan rejects.

The announcement of Sunday’s attack coincided with Mr. Modi’s oath-taking ceremony as India’s prime minister for the third consecutive term in Delhi.

The identities of the passengers have not been confirmed, but they are presumed to be from the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, according to Ms. Sharma’s statement to a newspaper.

Photographs depicted injured individuals, including a woman, being transported to a hospital in Jammu for medical care.

Amit Shah, the former Home Minister in Mr. Modi’s prior cabinet, mourned the tragedy.

“The perpetrators of this heinous assault will not escape justice and will endure the consequences of the law,” he stated on X, previously known as Twitter.

Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the principal opposition party, Congress, raised concerns about the security conditions in the area.

“This disgraceful event reflects the alarming state of security in Jammu and Kashmir,” he commented on X.

Back in 2017, seven Hindu pilgrims, six of whom were women, perished when their bus, returning from the renowned Amarnath pilgrimage site in the Anantnag district, was ensnared in a crossfire between the police and militants.

TheNewsmail…