While visiting the injured in a hospital in Anantnag, she said the head of every Kashmiri hangs in shame over Monday’s incident.

“Pilgrims come to Kashmir every year for the yatra despite all the difficulties. And seven people died today. I have no words to condemn it. I hope the security forces and the Jammu and Kashmir police arrest the perpetrators forthwith and take stern action against them,” the chief minister said.

“This incident is a blot on all Kashmiris and Muslims. We will not keep quite till we bring the culprits to book,” Mehbooba said.

She said efforts will be aimed at ensuring that quick action is taken against the culprits and justice is done.

The chief minister said seven people, including six women, were killed in the dastardly attack that took place around 8:20 pm.

Those killed and injured in the attack were on a bus carrying pilgrims from Valsad district of Gujarat.

The bus came under terrorists’ fire near Khanabal in Anantnag district around 8.20 pm, over one hour after the patrolling by the security forces on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway wound up.

Meanwhile, separatist leaders in Jammu and Kashmir also condemned the terror attack, saying the incident “goes against Kashmiri ethos”.

In a joint statement, Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik expressed grief over the killing of seven Amarnath yatris.

“The incident goes against the very grain of Kashmiri ethos. The Amarnath yatra has been going on peacefully for centuries and is part of yearly rhythm and will remain so,” it said.

“Our heart goes out to the families of the bereaved and we express our heartfelt condolences,” they said.

Several political organisations, including the VHP, JKNPP, NC and Congress called for a bandh in the city on Tuesday, in the wake of a terror attack on Amarnath pilgrims in Kashmir’s Anantnag district. 

(With inputs from PTI)

(Feature image source: Reuters)