J&K Guv, Mehbooba pay homage to Amarnath yatris killed in militant attack

SRINAGAR:  Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today paid floral tributes to the pilgrims killed in a Amarnath terror attack in south Kashmir district of Anantnag.

Seven yatris, five of them women, were killed and 19 others injured in the last night attack.

Mr Vohra, who is also the chairman of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB), visited the Technical Area, IAF Base, Srinagar, early today morning to meet the 19 Yatris who had been injured in the attack.

After treatment, the injured pilgrims were airlifted to the Srinagar Airport this morning, an official spokesperson said.

He said three pilgrims, who were critical, were still in hospitals at Anantnag and Srinagar.

Meanwhile, the Governor expressed his concern and sympathy to the injured Yatris and wished them a safe journey home.

He also met Salim Bhai, the driver of the bus, which he had driven all the way from Gujarat to Kashmir, and saluted him for his courage in not allowing the vehicle to go out of control when he was repeatedly fired upon from the front and the windscreen had been totally shattered.

The Governor paid respect to the seven pilgrims killed in this terror attack and laid wreaths on their coffins.

“The injured pilgrims and the coffins of those killed are being carried to Ahmadabad in a special IAF aircraft which arrived from Delhi this morning,” the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, Ms Mehbooba and Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh, besides other senior police and civil administration officers also pay floral tributes to the yatris killed in a militant attack.

The Chief Minister consoled the bereaved families expressing deep anguish over the tragic death of their family members. She said the gruesome act of violence has shaken the edifice of Kashmiri ethos and culture and people across the board have condemned this gory act. (AGENCIES)