Jammu: National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday launched searches at multiple places in Rajouri and Reasi districts as part of its investigation into the deadly terror attack in June on a bus carrying pilgrims who were returning from Shiv Khori temple, officials said.
NIA is conducting searches at seven locations in Jammu and Kashmir, they said.
Nine persons, including seven pilgrims from outside Jammu and Kashmir, were killed and 41 injured when terrorists opened fire at the bus on June 9. The bus, on its way from the Shiv Khori temple to Katra, veered off the road following a barrage of gunfire and fell into a deep gorge near Teryath village of Pouni area in Reasi.
A two-year-old boy from Rajasthan and a 14-year-old from Uttar Pradesh were also among the dead.
On June 17, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) handed over the terror attack case to the NIA.
In a handout, the NIA said that seven locations in Reasi and Rajouri districts were extensively searched in the case RC-02/2024/NIA/JMU, registered by NIA in June this year after taking over the probe from the local police. Incriminating material indicating linkages between the terrorists and OGWs was seized during the searches, and the same is under scrutiny.
It further said that the locations searched by the NIA teams were residential premises of hybrid terrorists and Overground Workers (OGWs) as well as the surrounding jungle linked with the hybrid terrorists who stayed in the area. “These terrorists were supported by one of the arrested accused, Hakam Khan alias Hakim Din, who provided them with shelter and food, NIA investigations in the case have revealed.”
The OGWs whose premises were searched were also involved in providing shelter, harbour, food and other logistic support to the terrorists crossing the area, which is one of the transit routes to the Kashmir region, as per NIA investigations, it said.

Agencies