New Delhi: Three students of a private school were injured, one critically, when their school bus was attacked on Wednesday by stone-pelters in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), triggering an outrage across the state.

There were more than 50 children on the bus.

A class II student who suffered a head injury is critical and shifted to Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) in Srinagar. Other two boys, also hit on the head, were discharged after treatment.

Shopian district’s Superintendent of Police (SP) Shailender Kumar Mishra informed the media that incident took place at 9.25am when the bus of Rainbow High School was passing through Narpora.

“The driver showed some presence of mind and increased the speed so that he could avoid getting hit. However, unfortunately, a child Rehan was seriously hurt in his head. We had his CT scan. He is undergoing treatment in Srinagar,” Mishra said.

It is not clear whether the school bus was the target of stone pelters or it was caught in clashes. The police is looking for the miscreants.

“Shopian district was observing a shutdown against killing of two militants, including Hizbul Mujahideen commander Sameer Tiger, and a civilian in an encounter at Drabgam in Pulwama. We are finding out the reason for attack on the bus,” Mishra added.

Rehan’s father Nooruddin said the attack was against humanity.

“My son has been injured by stone pelters, this is against humanity. This could have been anyone’s child. These kids are innocent and they have nothing to do with anything. If anything, school buses should not be targeted. Everybody has kids. School buses should not become the target of stone pelting,” he said.

J&K Director General of Police (DGP) SP Vaid also condemned the incident.

“The kids are scared. We could not ask them about the attackers. But it is complete madness how stone pelters are targeting young school children now,” Vaid told Gulf News.

Last year, J&K state government had announced an amnesty to 9,000 stone pelters in order to help them reunite with their families and have a fresh start. State Chief Minister (CM) Mehbooba Mufti was then criticised for the move.

On Wednesday, Mufti expressed shock at the attack on school children.

“Shocked and angered to hear of the attack on a school bus in Shopian. The perpetrators of this senseless and cowardly act will be brought to justice,” Mufti tweeted.

State Education Minister Chowdhary Zulfikhar Ali said it was senseless to target a school bus.

On Wednesday, Opposition leader and former CM of J&K Omar Abdullah tweeted, “how does pelting stones on school children or tourist buses help advance the agenda of these stone pelters? Amnesty granted to stone-pelters was meant to encourage more reasonable behaviour but some of these goons are determined to use the opportunity given to them to just pelt more stones.”