The 2024 Reasi attack was a terrorist attack that occurred on 9 June 2024 in the Reasi district of the Jammu division of Jammu and Kashmir, India. Several unidentified Islamist terrorists opened fire on a passenger bus transporting Hindu pilgrims from the Shiv Khori cave to Katra, causing it to lose control and plummet into a deep gorge,^[2] followed by further firing at the crashed bus by the gunmen.^[3] Nine people were killed in the attack, and an additional 41 were injured.^[4]

The Resistance Front (TRF) initially claimed responsibility for the ambush^[5] but later denied involvement,^[6] while the Jammu and Kashmir Police believes that the ambush was carried out by the Lashkar-e-Taiba, of which the TRF is considered an offshoot.^[4]

Background

The Jammu and Kashmir region, which both India and Pakistan claim fully but only exert partial administration, has been the pinpoint of a decades-long conflict between the two states. They have fought two wars over the territory since 1947. Since 1989, the conflict has devolved into an armed resistance against Indian control. India has claimed Pakistan of backing and harbouring the terrorists, which it denies.^[7]

Eight civilians were killed in the territory in the first five months of 2024. Terrorist attacks in the Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu division have risen over the past four years, with mainly security forces being targeted.^[8]

Attack

At approximately 6:15 p.m. on 9 June 2024, terrorists armed with firearms ambushed a 53-seater Yatri passenger bus carrying Hindu pilgrims in Teryath village, firing between 25 and 30 gunshots indiscriminately. The driver was struck by gunfire, causing them to lose control and plunge into a gorge.^[9] Even after the bus crashed into the gorge, the firing continued.^[3] Nine people, including a two-year-old and a 14-year-old, were killed and 41 were injured. The victims were from Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.^[7][4] At least ten victims had gunshot wounds,^[10] and empty cartridges were recovered at the scene.^[11][12] The ambush happened about an hour before Narendra Modi took the oath as Prime Minister.^[13]

Responsibility

Three foreign militants and one suspected local, who acted as a lookout, partook in the ambush.^[10] The gunmen reportedly used American-made M4 carbine assault rifles,^[14] similar to the weapons leftover after the American withdrawal from Afghanistan.^[15] The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba, initially claimed responsibility for the ambush but later denied involvement.^[5] People's Anti-Fascist Front and Revival of Resistance, both offshoots of JeM, also denied involvement.^[16] The Jammu and Kashmir Police stated that it believed the Lashkar-e-Taiba was responsible.^[4] The actual perpetrators are yet to be determined by the Indian investigators. Fifty people were detained in relation to the ambush by the Reasi district police.^[17] A local of Rajouri district was arrested on 19 June over allegations of sheltering the militants and acting as their guide.^[18]

Aftermath

A search and rescue operation was conducted following the ambush, during which security personnel and a military helicopter were dispatched.^[19][20] Survivors were treated at nearby hospitals. Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha announced a compensation of one million (10 Lakhs) Indian rupees for the dead and 50,000 rupees for the injured.^[7]

The Jammu and Kashmir Police, Indian Army, and Central Reserve Police Force launched a manhunt for the militants.^[21][7] The search was concentrated around the Teryath-Poni-Shiv Khori area, and included unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), detection dogs, and village defence committees.^[10] At least two of the militants are reportedly hiding in the upper region of Reasi, which is forested and could hamper search attempts.^[14] The investigation of the ambush was transferred to the National Investigation Agency by the Ministry of Home Affairs on 17 June.^[22]

Reactions

Subsequent developments

On March 16, 2025, Abu Qatal, a senior Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative and mastermind behind the Reasi attack, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Pakistan's Jhelum district. Qatal had a long history of orchestrating terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir. Notably, he was implicated in the January 2023 Dhangri village attack in Rajouri, which resulted in seven civilian deaths, including two children. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had charge-sheeted him for his involvement in this incident. Beyond direct attacks, Qatal played a pivotal role in establishing proxy terror outfits like the People's Anti-Fascist Force (PAFF) and The Resistance Force (TRF). These groups served to obscure the activities of established organizations such as LeT and Jaish-e-Mohammed.^[43][44]

See also

• 2017 Amarnath Yatra attack
• 2023 Rajouri attacks
• 2025 Pahalgam attack
• List of terrorist incidents in India

References