Amaranth Yatra attack: eight pilgrims killed, four injured as terrorists target yatris’ bus in Anantnag

Terrorists also attacked police party in Bantigoo area of Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag.

Eight Amarnath pilgrims were killed in terrorist attack in Anantnag.

At least eight Amarnath Yatra pilgrims were killed and ten other injured in a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Monday, media reported. The media reports could not confirm the death toll. The terrorists also attacked a police party in Bantigoo area beside targeting a bus carrying the pilgrims.

The attack took place hours after the Jammu and Kashmir Police claimed to have busted a Lashkar-e-Taiba module with the arrests of two persons, including Sandeep Kumar Sharma alias Adil, a resident of Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh. 3 police men are injured in the attack.

JKNPP declares Jammu Bandh on June 11 in protest against the attack. 

Reacting to the incident, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said: “the attack cannot be condemned strongly enough.” Omar wrote on Twitter, “Very sad news. The attack cannot be condemned strongly enough. My sympathies to the families & prayers for the injured.

He added the attack was feared in spite of recent success by security forces. “The one thing we had all feared this year during the yatra. In spite of recent successes against militants & unprecedented force presence,” he tweeted.

Earlier, the Amarnath yatra was suspended from Jammu due to law and order situation in the Kashmir Valley under curfew for the death anniversary of militant commander Burhan Wani. Authorities clamped curfew in three towns, including Tral in Kashmir, and imposed restrictions on the movement of people in the rest of the valley.

Special prayers were held on Sunday near the Pahalgam base camp of the annual Amarnath yatra, marking the commencement of the pilgrimage.

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