View source for 2002 Kaluchak massacre

{{EngvarB|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
{{Infobox terrorist attack
|image =
|title= 2002 Kaluchak Massacre
|location= Kaluchak, [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]], India
|target= Tourist bus, Army camp
|date=14 May 2002
|time=
|timezone=[[Indian Standard Time|IST]], [[UTC+05:30]]
|type=Shooting
|fatalities=31<ref name=trib1/>
|injuries=47<ref name=trib1/>
|perps=[[Lashkar-e-Taiba]]<ref name=trib1/><ref name="Australian National Security - Lashkar-e-Tayyiba"/>
}}
{{Terrorist attacks in India (since 2001)}}
The '''2002 Kaluchak Massacre''' was a terrorist attack on 14 May 2002 near the town of Kaluchak in the Indian state [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]]. Three militants attacked a Himachal Road Transport Corporation bus from the Indian state of [[Himachal Pradesh]] from Manali to Jammu and killed 7 people.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/jun/08/pakistan.india1 Kaluchak keeps the flag of vengeance flying], ''[[The Guardian]]'', 8 June 2002</ref><ref>[http://www.hindu.com/fline/fl1911/19110040.htm BUILDING CONFRONTATION], [[Frontline (magazine)|Frontline]], 25 May 2002</ref> After that they entered the family quarter of the Army and fired indiscriminately at the inmates, killing 23 persons, including 10 children, eight women and five Army men. The age of the children killed ranged from four to 10 years. Thirty-four people were injured in the attack.<ref>[http://www.thehindu.com/2002/05/15/stories/2002051503030100.htm ]{{dead link|date=April 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

==The massacre==
The terrorists reportedly crossed the [[Line of Control]] from [[Pakistan]] and boarded the bus at [[Vijay Pur, Jammu and Kashmir|Vijaypur]]. When the bus neared Kaluchak, they shot the driver and the conductor and opened fire on the passengers. On hearing the shots in the bus, the Indian army soldiers fired in their direction. The terrorists, who were dressed in Indian army fatigues, returned fire and attempted to escape to the Army's family quarters, located on the main road. They also threw grenades on some vehicles parked in the vicinity. Upon entering the family quarters, they again fired on Army family members present in the premises. The terrorists were eventually cordoned off and killed by 10&nbsp;am.

The death toll amounted to 31 killed, including 3 Army personnel, 18 Army family members and 10 civilians. There were 47 wounded including 12 Army personnel, 20 Army family members and 15 civilians.<ref name=trib1/> The dead included ten children.<ref name=nyt/>

All the three terrorists killed in this incident were Pakistani nationals. Indian investigations revealed that their names were Abu Suhail of ([[Faislabad]], Pakistan; Abu Murshed (Mohammed Munir) of Salamatpura in [[Gujranwala]] Pakistan and Abu Javed (Amzad Salam Bin Mohammed Gisha) of Guda Giriya Gujranwala, Pakistan. The government sources stated that biscuits and chocolates found on the persons of the gunmen revealed that they were purchased from [[Zafarwal]], Pakistan.<ref name=trib1/><ref name=mea1>{{cite web |title=Kaluchak Massacre Kaluchak massacre, Ministry of External Affairs, India |url=http://meaindia.nic.in/jk/kaluchak-massacre.htm |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/5glwzC94h?url=http://meaindia.nic.in/jk/kaluchak-massacre.htm |archive-date=14 May 2009 |url-status=dead |access-date=15 March 2009 |df=dmy }}</ref>

==Reaction in India==
{{Human rights abuses in Jammu and Kashmir}}
Indian Prime minister [[Atal Bihari Vajpayee]] termed the massacre "a most inhuman and brutal carnage".<ref>[http://in.rediff.com/news/2002/may/21jk5.htm Kaluchak massacre most inhuman: PM], [[Rediff.com]], 21 May 2002</ref> Hundreds of army personnel and their family members held candlelight prayers on Friday night in memory of those killed in one of the worst ever terrorist strikes in Jammu and Kashmir, in May.

[[Jaswant Singh]], the then Minister for External Affairs, writes in his book ''A Call To Honour – In Service of Emergent India'' that the Kaluchak incident was the last straw that almost led to war between India and Pakistan (see ''[[2001-2002 India-Pakistan standoff]]''), and was the closest that Pakistan and India came to war.

Indian Union Minister of State for External Affairs [[Omar Abdullah]] blamed Pakistan for this massacre and argued for escalating the response against Pakistan, citing the "sheer barbarity" of the attack.<ref>[http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl1911/19110130.htm 'Indian people's patience has run out'], [[Frontline (magazine)|Frontline]], 25 May 2002. Retrieved 2009-03-15.  [https://www.webcitation.org/5glwzZDJy?url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl1911/19110130.htm Archived] 2009-05-14.</ref> Chief Minister of [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]] [[Farooq Abdullah]] also blamed Pakistani intruders, calling them "animals."<ref>[http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/may/15jk7.htm Farooq blames Pakistan for Kalu Chak massacre], [[Rediff.com]], 15 May 2002. Retrieved 2009-03-15.  [https://www.webcitation.org/5glx0N788?url=http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/may/15jk7.htm Archived] 2009-05-14.</ref>

Members of [[Parliament of India]] unanimously blamed pakistan for this attack.<ref>[http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl1911/19110110.htm Standing together], [[Frontline (magazine)|Frontline]], 15 May 2002. Retrieved 2009-03-15.  [https://www.webcitation.org/5glx0nFoM?url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl1911/19110110.htm Archived] 2009-05-14.</ref>

==International reactions==
The President of the United States [[George W. Bush]] condemned the massacre as a "terrible and outrageous act" and said that he was "appalled at the incident".<ref name="meaindia.nic.in">{{Cite web |url=http://meaindia.nic.in/jk/terrattk-jammumsgs.htm |title=International Community Condemns Massacre of Innocent People by Terrorists in Jammu |access-date=9 October 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070313111953/http://meaindia.nic.in/jk/terrattk-jammumsgs.htm |archive-date=13 March 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The Presidency of the European Union "strongly condemned the brutal terrorist attack in Kaluchak (Jammu and Kashmir), which resulted in the death of numerous innocent civilians" and expressed sympathy to the Government of India for its problems in controlling [[terrorism in Kashmir]].

Similar condemnations were expressed by the leaders of Germany, Japan and Russia.<ref name="meaindia.nic.in"/>

Pakistan arrested [[Lashkar-e-Taiba]] chief [[Hafiz Muhammad Saeed]], lending credence to the group's connection to the attack.<ref name=trib1>[http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20020518/nation.htm#1 Lashkar was ‘involved’ in Kaluchak attack], [[The Tribune (Chandigarh)|The Tribune]], 18 May 2002. Retrieved 2009-03-15.  [https://www.webcitation.org/5glx0191T?url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20020518/nation.htm Archived] 2009-05-14.</ref><ref name=nyt>[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0DE1DD1339F936A25756C0A9649C8B63 Gunmen Kill 30, Including 10 Children, in Kashmir], [[The New York Times]], 15 May 2002</ref>

The Australian government while declaring [[Lashkar-e-Taiba]] a [[U.S. State Department list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations|terrorist organisation]] based in [[Muridke]] near [[Lahore]], [[Pakistan]] in 2003 attributed this massacre to it.<ref name="Australian National Security - Lashkar-e-Tayyiba">{{cite web|title=Australian National Security – Lashkar-e-Tayyiba |url=http://www.ag.gov.au/agd/WWW/nationalsecurity.nsf/Page/What_Governments_are_doing_Listing_of_Terrorism_Organisations_Lashkar-e-Tayyiba |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/5glx1CX9c?url=http://www.ag.gov.au/agd/WWW/nationalsecurity.nsf/Page/What_Governments_are_doing_Listing_of_Terrorism_Organisations_Lashkar-e-Tayyiba |archive-date=14 May 2009 |url-status=dead |access-date=15 March 2009 |df=dmy }}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
* [http://in.rediff.com/news/2002/jun/15war5.htm Candle light prayers held for Kaluchak massacre victims], ''[[Rediff.com]]'' (15 June 2002)
* [http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20020522/edit.htm#4 Kaluchak massacre and India’s response], ''[[The Tribune (Chandigarh)|The Tribune]]'' (22 May 2002)

{{coord missing|Jammu and Kashmir}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kaluchak Massacre}}

{{#seo:
|keywords=21st-century mass murder in India, Mass murder in 2002, Spree shootings in India, Islamic terrorism in India, Massacres in Jammu and Kashmir, Jammu district, 2000s in Jammu and Kashmir, Religiously motivated violence in India, Terrorist incidents in India in 2002, Terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, Islamic terrorist incidents in 2002, May 2002 events in Asia
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[[Category:21st-century mass murder in India]]
[[Category:Mass murder in 2002]]
[[Category:Spree shootings in India]]
[[Category:Islamic terrorism in India]]
[[Category:Massacres in Jammu and Kashmir]]
[[Category:Jammu district]]
[[Category:2000s in Jammu and Kashmir]]
[[Category:Religiously motivated violence in India]]
[[Category:Terrorist incidents in India in 2002]]
[[Category:Terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir]]
[[Category:Islamic terrorist incidents in 2002]]
[[Category:May 2002 events in Asia]]