On the fateful evening of 9th June 2024, a 53- seater bus carrying devotees from Shiv Khori temple to Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra, saw open firing by terrorists, which resulted in the vehicle to veer off of the road and plunge into a gorge near the Teryath village of Poni region in Reasi, Jammu and Kashmir. It is believed that this Reasi terrorist attack has caused the death of at least 10 pilgrims and more than 40 devotees were gravely injured.

Per the statements given by Reasi SSP Mohita Sharma, the attack was pre-planned, and the terrorist group was hiding in the forest, waiting for the bus. The driver of the vehicle was hit by gunfire, forcing him to lose control of the bus and veer off of the road. Moreover, preliminary reports suggest that masked terrorists fired at the bus, hitting numerous innocents and causing high casualties. While the identities of the injured and deceased have not been confirmed, it is believed that this group of people were from Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and surrounding areas.

One of the civilians in the vehicle at the time has shared his side of the story, and explained how the terrorists managed to completely harm the vehicle in grevious ways. He further elaborated how people heard bullet shots around 6 pm, and within 15 seconds at least 25 rounds of shots were fired. He said that the bus turned and spun in the air, regained its upright position, but the wheels were stuck and there was no way to escape.

The whole ordeal lasted for about 20-25 minutes but has caused a major stir amongst the masses, with the social media hashtag of “All Eyes on Reasi” trending on all major social media platforms. This Reasi terrorist attack has shook the nation to its core, and raised questions on the security status of J&K, the condition of its people and their safety, the rise of terrorist groups and their infiltration through the Pir Panjal route.

Furthermore, the incident of 9th June has caused people to question if this was a religion-centric attack, or was this the work of external forces such as Pak-based terrorists. Officials are being bombarded with questions, and while the most recent security review happened on Friday, the masses are not convinced. The Reasi horror story raises questions on the security authenticity of pilgrimages and is a glaring window into the fears of people surrounding the upcoming Amarnath Yatra.