Terrorists opened fire on a popular meadow near Pahalgam in Kashmir on Tuesday afternoon, killing 26 people, mostly tourists, and injuring over a dozen, in the deadliest attack in the region since the 2019 Pulwama strike.
The incident happened at around 2:30 pm in Baisaran, about six kilometres from the resort town of Pahalgam, is an expansive meadow ringed by dense pine forests and mountains and a favourite with visitors from across the country and the world.
Armed terrorists came into the grassland, dubbed 'mini Switzerland', and started firing at tourists milling around eateries, taking pony rides or just picnicking, officials and eyewitnesses said.
As news of the terrorist attack on tourists in Pahalgam broke, The Resistance Front (TRF)—a shadow outfit linked to the banned Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)—claimed responsibility for the assault.
According to officials cited in a PTI report, it is suspected that the attackers may have infiltrated from Kishtwar in Jammu and made their way to Baisaran via Kokernag in South Kashmir.
Intelligence agencies have identified Saifullah Kasuri, also known by the alias Khalid, a senior commander of the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), as the mastermind behind the massacre.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday morning at the airport upon his arrival from Saudi Arabia to discuss the situation following the terror attack in Pahalgam.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri was also part of the meeting, officials said.
Modi cut short his trip to Saudia Arabia. Sources said that Modi skipped the official dinner hosted by Saudi Arabia and has decided to cut short his visit.
Sources said that a team of National Investigation Agency (NIA) led by an inspector general has been sent to terror-hit Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir.
The team is en route to Pahalgam where it would provide assistance to the local police.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Valdimir Putin were among the world leaders who condemned the attack.
Victims from across India, including two foreigners
A purported video of the attack site emerged showing several people bleeding and lying motionless on the ground while women tourists were wailing and frantically looking for their near and dear ones.
"My husband was shot in the head while seven others were also injured in the attack," a woman survivor was quoted by PTI as saying.
The woman did not identify herself but pleaded for help in evacuating the injured to the hospital. Security forces and medical teams rushed to the spot immediately after the incident.
Among the victims is Manjunath, a real-estate businessman from Shivamogga, who had gone to Kashmir to celebrate his son scoring 96 per cent in the PUC-II exams.
BJP MP BY Raghavendra, quoting Manjunath's wife Pallavi, said the terrorists had opened fire after asking him which community he belonged to.
The victims included two foreign nationals -- from the UAE and Nepal -- as well as two local residents, according to a senior official.
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis confirmed that two of the deceased were from the state.
Other victims included a man from Balasore, Odisha, who worked at CIPET, and an Intelligence Bureau official from Telangana.
A Malayali tourist has also been confirmed among those killed. The deceased has been identified as N Ramachandran, 65, a native of Edappally, Kochi.
He had arrived in Kashmir just a day earlier along with his family, including his wife Sheela Ramachandran, daughter, and two grandchildren.
Among the victims was also Lt. Vinay Narwal, 26, a Navy officer stationed in Kochi and a native of Haryana's Karnal. Narwal, who had gotten married just days earlier on April 16, was in Kashmir for his honeymoon.
He was reportedly shot in the cheek, neck, and arm and was declared brought dead at the hospital. His wife’s condition remains unclear.
'They will not be spared!'
Hours after the attack, PM Modi, who was in Jeddah, spoke to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and asked him to visit the site.
PM Modi also condemned the attack and stressed that the BJP-led Centre's "resolve to fight terrorism is unshakable."
"I strongly condemn the terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that the injured recover at the earliest. All possible assistance is being provided to those affected. Those behind this heinous act will be brought to justice...they will not be spared!" he wrote in a post on X.
"Their evil agenda will never succeed. Our resolve to fight terrorism is unshakable and it will get even stronger," he added.
Amit Shah, in a post on X, informed that he had briefed the prime minister about the incident and held a virtual meeting with the concerned officials.
"Anguished by the terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. My thoughts are with the family members of the deceased. Those involved in this dastardly act of terror will not be spared, and we will come down heavily on the perpetrators with the harshest consequences. Briefed PM Shri @narendramodiJi about the incident and held a meeting with the concerned officials via video conferencing," Shah wrote.
Hours after the attack on tourists, Shah rushed to Srinagar and drove straight to the Raj Bhavan from the airport.
Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police Nalin Prabhat briefed the home minister upon his arrival.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, CM Omar Abdullah, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan and Director of Intelligence Bureau Tapan Deka were present at the time of the briefing.
'Perpetrators are animals, inhuman & worthy of contempt'
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah condemned the attack on tourists as an "abomination," and offered condolences to the families of the deceased.
"I’m shocked beyond belief. This attack on our visitors is an abomination. The perpetrators of this attack are animals, inhuman & worthy of contempt. No words of condemnation are enough. I send my sympathies to the families of the deceased. I’ve spoken to my colleague @sakinaitoo & she has moved to the hospital to oversee arrangements for the injured. I’ll be flying back to Srinagar immediately," he wrote in a post on X.
FM Sitharaman cuts short US, Peru visit after J-K terror attack
Following the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is cutting short her official visit to the US and Peru and will depart for India at the earliest, according to an official statement on Wednesday.
Sitharaman arrived in the US on Sunday for a six-day visit, after which she was scheduled to travel to Peru for a five-day trip.
"Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Smt.@nsitharaman is cutting short her official visit to the USA-Peru. She is taking the earliest available flight back to India to be with our people in this difficult and tragic time," the Finance Ministry said in a post on X.
The Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha earlier informed that the district administration and the health officials have been directed to provide immediate medical care to the injured tourists being treated at Pahalgam.
"Directed the district administration and the health officials to provide immediate medical attention to those admitted at Pahalgam. An injured tourist has been evacuated to GMC Anantnag. I pray for the speedy recovery of all the injured," he wrote on X.
PDP chief and former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti, condemned the attack and called for a thorough investigation into the potential security lapses that caused it.
"I strongly condemn the cowardly attack on tourists in Pahalgam, which tragically killed five and injured several. Such violence is unacceptable and must be denounced. Historically, Kashmir has welcomed tourists warmly, making this rare incident deeply concerning. A thorough investigation is needed to bring the perpetrators to justice and examine potential security lapses," she wrote in a post on X.
"Ensuring visitor safety is paramount, and steps must be taken to prevent future attacks. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families," she added.
Pahalgam MLA Altaf Kaloo also condemned the attack and called for swift action by the government to evacuate the injured.
"Saddened to hear about the terrorist attack on tourists at Baisaran, Pahalgam. Praying for the victims. Urging @OfficeOfLGJandK, HCM @OmarAbdullah & @JmuKmrPolice to take swift action for evacuation and ensure the injured receive immediate medical assistance. Lives must be saved," he wrote on X.
A little earlier, Army, CRPF and local police rushed to Baisaran meadows after the news started coming down to the town, PTI quoted a senior police official as saying.
A massive anti-terrorist operation has been launched to hunt down the assailants as security forces have been fanned out in all directions, they said.
Meanwhile, Pahalgam resort, which was teeming with tourists till this afternoon wore a deserted look soon after the attack with tourists leaving the place, fearing for their safety, the officials said.
(With inputs from Express News Service, PTI)
Major terror attacks in Kashmir
