Seven Amarnath pilgrims killed, 12 injured in Kashmir attack

Srinagar: At least seven Amarnath pilgrims lost their lives and 12 others injured when a bus of yatris was caught in a cross fire between terrorists and a police party in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantang district.

Inspector General of Police Munir Khan confirmed the toll and said 12 others were injured, including security men.

The bus was carrying pilgrims back from Baltal after performing the yatra.

A CRPF statement said the bus was not part of the official yatra and not registered with the Amarnath Shrine Board.

The attack took place hours after the Jammu and Kashmir Police claimed to have busted a Lashkar-e-Taiba module with the arrests of two persons, including Sandeep Kumar Sharma alias Adil, a resident of Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh.

Senior minister in the Mehbooba Mufti-led government Nayeem Akhtar termed the attack a "dark patch in the history of Kashmir".

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah was quick to react and said: "The attack cannot be condemned strongly enough."

He added that such an attack was expected in spite of recent successes against militants by security forces. "The one thing we had all feared this year during the yatra. In spite of recent successes against militants and unprecedented force presence," he tweeted.

On Saturday, the Amarnath yatra was suspended from Jammu due to law and order situation in the Kashmir Valley which was under curfew due to the death anniversary of militant commander Burhan Wani.