What we feared the most eventually happened at Batingoo in Kashmir valley – a terrorist attack on the Amarnath Yatri bus killing seven pilgrims and seriously injuring over a dozen other pilgrims including women. The unfortunate and gruesome attack on the peaceful pilgrims shows the worst situation in the valley can only be controlled with iron hand. People have not forgotten the bloodshed by terror attack on pilgrims' camp at Pahalgam nearly a decade ago and a similar attack near Ganderbal last year.
The incident is widely being condemned by one and all across the country except by the separatists and their supporters.
We all knew about the deep conspiracy hatched by these blood hounds in Kashmir and across LoC to spill blood of innocent people. The apprehensions aired by security agencies that terror groups were planning to attack the Amarnath yatra have already been known to the devotees and tour organisers who violated the Special Operational Procedure (SOP) by diverting from the escorted convoy. Their going astray was a serious security lapse and gave an open window to the terrorists to strike and take the toll. The bus carrying the pilgrims was neither a part of convoy nor registered with shrine board as mandated.
The statement by the Director General (DG) of the BSF on Saturday has though disheartened pilgrims and tourism stakeholders in Jammu, but it was in the interest of security of the pilgrims to take the appropriate measures to foil such attempts.
BSF chief on Saturday said, “There are intelligence reports that militants have plans to attack the forthcoming Amarnath yatra, but we have made adequate arrangements to ensure an incident-free yatra this year also.”
Unfortunately, the intelligence inputs were too general and lacked specifics. The chain of events that happened around the time of attack proves doubtlessly that the attack on pilgrims was pre-planned and well researched. Terrorists attacked a CRPF camp at Bijbehara and a police party was also attacked in Anantnag, in which three cops were injured. It shows that the terrorists executed the plan by more than one team that struck at different places prior to the attack to divert the attention of the security forces. Agreeing that there should not be any lapse so far as SOPs are concerned but how the lone bus managed diversion and again how it was not stopped anywhere enroute, till it met with the terrorist attack, is also a major security loop hole on the part of local Jammu Kashmir Police.
Post incident, troops of 90 Battalion and 40 Battalion of the CRPF have rushed to the spot but as it is said no use repenting over the spilt milk. It needs a harsh action that too with speed. Its now or never.