Attack on Amarnath Yatris Widely Condemned

Condemnations poured in from all quarters against the deadly terror attack in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district in which seven persons died and nineteen others were injured. The condition of the injured, officials said, was stable.

The police identified the seven deceased as Hasuben Ratila Patal, Surakha Ben and Lakshimiben S Patal from Valsad, Ratan Zeena Bhai Patal of Daman and Prajapati Champaben of Navsari from Gujarat state. The victims included two others from Maharashtra - Nirmala Ben Thakor, a resident of Palghar, and Usha Mohanla Sonkar of Danu.

The victims came under the attack late Monday after they were travelling in a Gujarat vehicle, bearing the registration number GJ09Z 9976, on National Highway 1A, the only route connecting the valley to rest of the country, to Jammu after completing Amarnath Yatra.

According to Jammu and Kashmir police, the attack was aimed at the police post. The police said the terrorists had initially attacked a police Bullet Proof bunker near Botengoo locality in the area. “The fire was retaliated and there was no report of injuries,” a police official said.

The official added thereafter the terrorists fired on a police post near Khanabal locality in District Anantnag. “The fire was retaliated and a tourist bus was hit by bullets,” he said.

Following the attack, the state government shut the internet services in the state to avoid any flaring up of the communal situation. The traders are also observing shutdown in the winter capital against the attack on Yatris in the Valley. The authorities also closed all educational institution in Jammu region as a precautionary measure.

"All schools, colleges, coaching and tuition centers are hereby ordered to remain closed in District Jammu for two days - 11 and 12 of July, 2017," the official handout read.

All mainstream and separatist politicians have condemned the militant attack on Yatris calling and expressed sorrow over the killings. Expressing deep shock over the killings, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said, “Yatris were esteemed guests of Kashmir and perpetrators of this crime have done a death blow to the ethos and culture of the state.”

The Communist Party of India Marxist has come out with a press statement condemning the attack. “The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) denounces the dastardly attack on Amarnath pilgrims in Anantnag district in Jammu & Kashmir. 7 people, mostly women, were killed and 19 injured in a terrorist attack while returning from the pilgrimage,” the statement read.

The act was equally strongly condemned by others as well including former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah of National Conference and Ghulam Nabi Azad of the INC.

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