Amarnath Yatra attack 2017

On 10 July 2017, the first Monday of the month of Shraavana, 7 Hindu civilian pilgrims on the way from Amarnath Temple in Kashmir Valley, in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir were killed in a terror attack. The pilgrims mostly belonged to the Indian state of Gujarat. Among the at least seven people killed, six were women, and at least 19 people were injured in the attack.

NEW DELHI: Four terrorists, two of them Pakistanis, are suspected to have been involved in the attack on Amarnath pilgrims in which seven devotees were killed , home ministry officials said on Wednesday.

The Amarnath Yatra terror attack has not just shaken India, but all people of conscience and decency, especially in Pakistan. For over a decade, the targeting of religious and spiritual gatherings has become a key tool in the arsenal of terrorists. Throughout the Middle East, sectarian wounds have been gouged and deepened by wave after wave of terror group.

They said the Gujarat registered bus, which was attacked, reached at Jammu on 7 July and got registered at Amarnath shrine facilitation centre.

Initially, the bus was part of the regular convoy of the pilgrims and travelled together till Baltal.

The pilgrims in the bus paid their obeisance at the cave shrine on 8 July and returned. On the way back, the pilgrims left the convoy and drove to Srinagar.

The Gujarati pilgrims stayed in Srinagar for two days as tourists. On 10 July, around 4.30 pm, they left Srinagar for Katra.

The vehicle got punctured at a place 10 km away from Khanabal around 6.30 pm. Then the passengers went down and had food at a roadside eatery.

When the bus resumed its journey, it came under attack from the terrorists at Khanabal around 2017 hours.

Facing the bullets, the driver of the bus, Salim Sheikh, charged past the area but had to face another group of terrorists after crossing just 75 metres.

The driver again did not stop the bus despite facing the terrorist attack for the second time in quick succession.

The bus was finally stopped at a police point after a few kilometres and the policemen on duty took the pilgrims to the Anantnag police line where the injured were given first aid before being shifted to a hospital, officials said.