26, Including Two Foreigners, Feared Killed In Pahalgam Terror Attack: Sources

At slightest 26 people, including 2 overseas nationals, are feared dormant aft terrorists opened occurrence connected visitors successful Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam connected Tuesday successful 1 of nan worst attacks connected civilians successful caller years, sources told India Today.  

The shooting took spot astir 2:30 p.m. successful Baisaran meadow, a celebrated picnic spot dubbed 'mini Switzerland' for its scenic beauty. The attackers, dressed successful fatigues, descended from nan mountains and began firing astatine visitors enjoying pony rides and refreshments successful nan unfastened grassland, located astir 5 km from Pahalgam and accessible only connected ft aliases horseback.

Videos from nan tract showed bodies scattered crossed nan section and women crying for thief arsenic locals rushed to assist. Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic arsenic gunshots rang retired and group ran for cover, pinch small protection successful nan unfastened terrain. 

"Terrorists struck a premier tourer location of Pahalgam successful South Kashmir connected Tuesday, sidesplitting aggregate group and injuring astatine slightest 20," officials said. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah called it “much larger than thing we’ve seen directed astatine civilians successful caller years.”

"A purported video of nan onslaught tract emerged showing respective group bleeding and lying motionless connected nan crushed while women visitors were wailing and frantically looking for their adjacent and beloved ones," Abdullah said connected X. He added, "The perpetrators of this onslaught are animals, inhuman and worthy of contempt. No words of condemnation are enough."

The Resistance Front, a Pakistan-backed proxy of Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed work for nan attack.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned nan onslaught and said those responsible "will not beryllium spared." In a station connected X, he said, "Condolences to those who person mislaid their loved ones. I believe that nan injured retrieve astatine nan earliest. All imaginable assistance is being provided to those affected. Their evil schedule will ne'er succeed. Our resoluteness to conflict coercion is unshakable and it will get moreover stronger."

Modi said to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and asked him to return each suitable measures and sojourn nan tract of nan attack. Shah has near for Srinagar to return banal of nan business successful Jammu and Kashmir. Shah headed for J-K soon aft Prime Minister Narendra Modi said to him and asked him to sojourn nan Union Territory. 

Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha, who was successful nan nationalist capital, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Director of Intelligence Bureau Tapan Deka and a fewer elder officials accompanied nan location minister, who has near connected a typical formation from IGI airport

“Anguished by nan panic onslaught connected visitors successful Pahalgam,” Shah said connected X. “Those progressive successful this dastardly enactment of panic will not beryllium spared, and we will travel down heavy connected nan perpetrators pinch nan harshest consequences. Will soon time off for Srinagar to clasp an urgent information reappraisal meeting.”

The onslaught comes astatine a clip erstwhile Kashmir has seen a dependable emergence successful tourer arrivals, and conscionable weeks earlier nan Amarnath Yatra is scheduled to statesman connected July 3.

(With inputs from Mir Fareed and Kamaljit Kaur Sandhu)

Published on: Apr 22, 2025 8:48 PM IST