The Hindu : 8 bus passengers gunned down

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 02, 2002

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8 bus passengers gunned down

By Luv Puri

HIRANAGAR MOTH (KATHUA) OCT. 1. Terrorists today mowed down eight persons and injured at least a dozen in the Hiranagar area of Kathua district of Jammu region. The modus operandi of the terrorists bore a striking resemblance to the Kaluchak attack. The condition of five persons is said to be serious.

Eyewitnesses told The Hindu that at around 6 a.m. three to four terrorists dressed in police uniform with black turbans barged into a bus from the Kattal area near the International Border and asked the driver to take them to the Hiranagar town. On reaching the Hiranagar Moth, just 100 metres from the Jammu-Pathankot National Highway, the driver rammed a wall and raised an alarm. He, along with the passengers, jumped out of the bus but the terrorists started firing indiscriminately, killing five persons and injuring several others. Then they ran towards the National Highway and took positions from three sides. One of them lobbed a grenade on a bus going to Katra from Delhi. The terrorists opened fire on the bus which had 35 passengers on their way to the Vaishno Devi shrine.

The first victim was the conductor, who was sitting in the front. The firing continued for about 20 minutes and the terrorists also lobbed grenades. Later, they fled the scene but on route they gunned down Janak Singh, naib-tehsildar.

Police reached the spot of the carnage after an hour and cordoned off the area. Two of the injured later died.

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