SL condemns terror attack on Amarnath Yatra pilgrims in India

Sri Lanka today condemned the terror attack on Amarnath Yatra pilgrims in the state of Jammu and Kashmir in India, where seven pilgrims were killed and another 19 were injured on Monday.

“Condemns in the strongest terms the attack on peaceful pilgrims on Amarnath Yatris and our hearts are with those affected” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Mahishini Colonne tweeted.

At least seven pilgrims returning from the Amarnath shrine were killed on Monday night in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district after terrorists opened fire on their bus and a security vehicle.

The attack occurred at Batengoo when 60-70 pilgrims were returning from Baltal, one of the base camps of the pilgrimage, to Jammu. Deputy chief minister Nirmal Singh said the bodies of the victims – all of whom were from Gujarat – would be airlifted to state on Tuesday.

Political leaders condemned the attack, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying India would not be “bogged down” by such “cowardly” acts. In a joint statement, separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik expressed grief over the killings, saying the incident “goes against the very grain of Kashmiri ethos”.