Jammu and Kashmir: 10 Hindu pilgrims killed in bus attack in Reasi

“All those behind this heinous act will be punished soon,” Manoj Sinha, the region’s top administrator, wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Officials say the bus was on its way to the base camp of the famous Hindu shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi when it was fired upon.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack but Mohita Sharma, the district police chief, told Reuters that suspected militants had “ambushed the bus”.

The Himalayan region of Kashmir has been a flashpoint between India and Pakistan for over six decades.

Since 1947, the nuclear-armed neighbours have fought two wars over the Muslim-majority territory, which both claim in full but control in part. Since 1989, Indian-administered Kashmir has also seen an armed insurgency against Delhi’s rule, claiming thousands of lives.

Delhi accuses Islamabad of harbouring militants and disrupting peace in the region, a charge Pakistan denies.

The news of Sunday’s attack broke as Mr Modi took oath as India’s prime minister for the third consecutive term at a swearing-in ceremony in Delhi.

The passengers are yet to be identified but it is believed they are from the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, Ms Sharma told a newspaper.

Photos showed some injured people, including a woman, being taken to a hospital in Jammu for treatment.