IAF plane brings back tourists attacked by terrorists

Vadodara, May 26 (UNI) A special Indian Air Force (IAF) plane today brought back here a group of tourists from the state, who faced a terrorist attack in Srinagar yesterday, in which four of the group were killed and six injured.

The IAF plane which brought in all the people from Srinagar, landed at the Harni airport here this afternoon at 1320 hrs.

Minister of State for Education Bhupendra Lakhawala, city Congress President Bhikha Rabari, Police Commissioner Deepak Swaroop, Collector Rajiv Topno, Mayor Sunil Solanki and others were present at the airport.

However, a family of three -- Bipin Zariwala, his wife Hemaxi and 11-year-old son Shivang -- had been left out at Srinagar for treatment because of their critical conditions.

The bodies of four victims -- Krishna Rajeshbhai Zariwala, Tanal Hiteshbhai Zariwala, Khushboo Narendrabhai Zariwala and Robhinbhai Rakeshbhai Zariwala, were brought out in coffins from the IAF aircraft and directly taken to the waiting ambulance vans.

Similarly, the injured were also directly shifted to another batch of ambulance vans. The other tourists were moved into two buses and the entire convoy directly drove to Surat.

An emotionally-charged Vimla Zariwala, a relative of one of the victims, told UNI that she or any of her family members would never visit the Kashmir valley again.

Similar feelings were expressed by another relative Hema Zariwala, whose son Kunal and his wife Mrunalini sustained injuries in the attack.

Rajesh Zariwala, the father of Krishna, broke down after seeing the bodies of his daughter and her best friend Khushboo, both Class X students. With tears rolling down his eyes, he said that his daughter had gone there to give company to Khushboo.

UNI SS-MP SSS VD RK1720