Reasi Terror Attack: Police release sketch of terrorist, announce Rs 20 lakh reward

Srinagar, June 11: 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 aRs 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 persons 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.
Meanwhile, at least 22 suspects have been detained by Jammu and Kashmir Police and are being questioned regarding the deadly terrorist attack on pilgrims’ bus on Sunday in which 9 pilgrims were killed and 41 others were injured.
A senior police officer told Rising Kashmir that in connection with the terrorist attack on a pilgrim bus in Teryath village near Shiv Khori area of Reasi, 22 persons have been detained. Further investigation is going on.
The police officer said that they are tracking the possible routes that terrorists might have used and who provided them shelter.” Some suspects who are living in adjacent areas are being questioned regarding the same,” he said.
The police officials said extra forces were called on Tuesday to expand the cordon in the area and trace the hiding terrorists.
“Some of these individuals are under scrutiny as part of our efforts to identify those responsible for this act of terrorism. As more evidence emerges, we will proceed to formally detain those whose involvement becomes clear,” he said.
The police official said that 2-3 terrorists are trained in jungle warfare, use US-made M4 carbines and can live in natural caves for days. “They are said to be active in the region and we are investigating the involvement of others in the Reasi bus attack”.