J&K Terror Attack | MHA Transfers Reasi Bus Terror Attack Probe; NIA Takes Charge

The probe into the June 9 attack on a bus carrying pilgrims in Reasi has been handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) by the Centre, according to individuals familiar with the matter on Monday.

It was decided during a high-level meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday that the NIA would take over the investigation from the Jammu and Kashmir police, as reported by Hindustan Times.

NIA Takes Charge Of Reasi Bus Terror Attack

A federal agency FIR has reportedly been registered as part of this takeover. The attack, in which terrorists opened fire on the 53-seater bus traveling from the Shiv Khori temple to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra, resulted in the bus veering off the road and plunging into a deep gorge near Teryath village, Poni area.

The victims included pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Delhi, with nine fatalities and 42 injuries reported. Officials indicated that the NIA's scope of investigation will encompass exploring a broader conspiracy behind the attack, potentially linking it to three subsequent incidents in Kathua and Doda last Tuesday and Wednesday, as per media reports.

Over the past week, the Jammu and Kashmir police reportedly interrogated numerous individuals, including those suspected of aiding the terrorists. During the Sunday meeting, the Home Minister also emphasized the importance of leveraging modern technology to bolster local intelligence networks, locate tunnels utilized by terrorists, and address drone infiltrations, as reported by Hindustan Times. He stressed the need for security forces and intelligence agencies to operate in a "mission mode" and streamline coordination efforts.