Even before the bus could arrive, a Maruti Gypsy, along with a bike, halted at the bus stop with a screeching sound. Before anyone could notice, five men with AK-47s and a pistol fired several bullets at the unarmed IAF men.

While all 14 fell to the ground immediately, unable to fight back the ambush, four IAF men died on the spot. The fallen IAF men were Squadron Leader Ravi Khanna, Corporal DB Singh, Corporal Uday Shankar and Airman Ajad Ahmed. The attack also killed two local Kashmiri women who were waiting at the bus stop. Eyewitnesses later revealed that the Gypsy and the bike took rounds around the IAF men who were lying in a pool of blood, and screamed and danced raising pro-jihadi slogans.