Pahalgam (J-K) | Terrorists opened fire at a famed meadow near Kashmir’s Pahalgam town on Tuesday afternoon, killing 26 people, mostly tourists, in what is the deadliest attack in the Valley since the Pulwama strike in 2019.
The 26 dead included two foreigners - from UAE and Nepal - and two locals, a high ranking official said without getting into details. The toll is still being ascertained, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said while describing the terror attack as "much larger than anything we've seen directed at civilians in recent years".
Officials said that 22 of the 26 victims have been identified and efforts are being made to ascertain the identity of the other four.
The attack, which comes as US Vice President J D Vance is visiting India and just as the tourist and trekking season is picking up momentum, took place around 3 pm, officials said.
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. At least 20 people were injured in the strike in the volatile Kashmir Valley where tourists have so far mostly been spared.
As news of the terror attack targeting tourists in Kashmir spread, The Resistance Front (TRF), a shadow group of the banned Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror group, claimed responsibility.
Officials said it was possible the terror group members could have crossed over from Kishtwar in Jammu and reached Baisaran through Kokernag in south Kashmir.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a visit to Saudi Arabia, and rushed to Srinagar in the evening and took stock of the security situation
Officials said Shah is likely to visit Pahalgam on Wednesday.
"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,” the prime minister said on X.
"Those behind this heinous act will be brought to justice... they will not be spared! Their evil agenda will never succeed. Our resolve to fight terrorism is unshakable and it will get even stronger," he added.
Eyewitnesses painted a chilling picture of gunfire breaking the calm of a regular Tuesday afternoon with scores of people enjoying their day out. Cries for help were heard as lifeless bodies lay motionless in pools of blood.
Some put the number of attackers at five.
"My husband was shot in the head while seven others were also injured in the attack," a woman survivor told PTI over phone.
The woman did not identify herself but pleaded for help in evacuating the injured to hospital.
Pune businessman Santosh Jagdale, 54, was asked to come out of his tent and recite an Islamic verse. When he couldn't, he was shot thrice: once in the head, then behind the ear and then his back, his Asavari Jagdale told PTI.
After her father fell to the ground, the gunmen turned on her uncle who was lying next to her and shot him several times in the back.
Asavari, 26, does not know if her father and uncle are alive or among the dead. She, her mother and another female relative were spared, and locals and security forces evacuated them to Pahalgam Club where they remain clueless about the fate of the two men.
The terrorists blamed them for supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after which they made some statements to deny that Kashmiri militants kill innocent people, women and children, she said.
As gunshots rang out, there was panic and tourists ran for cover but there was no place to hide in the wide, open space, said another woman tourist.
A woman said terrorists first asked the name before shooting down the victims.
The tourists gathered at Baisaran were from several states. Among the dead were tourists from Karnataka, Maharashtra, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. At least one person from Gujarat, three from Tamil Nadu and two from Maharashtra were among the injured, according to initial reports.
Manish Rajan, who was working with a central security agency and was at present posted in Hyderabad, was on a holiday with his wife and children when he was shot dead in front of his family members.
Karnataka businessman Manjunath Rao, who was from Shivamogga, was also killed in the attack.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah condoled the death and called a meeting of officials. A team of officials from Karnataka left for Kashmir, an official statement said.
With Baisaran accessible only by foot or horses, choppers were deployed to evacuate the injured. The families of those killed and injured were taken to the government-owned Pahalgam Club under tight security.
The entire district administration and police force were mobilised and ambulances pressed into service.
Some of the injured were brought down from the meadow by local people on their ponies.
Army, CRPF and local police rushed to Baisaran, much sought after by filmmakers in the 1980s, after initial news came in of gunshots being heard, officials said.
A massive anti-terrorist operation has been launched to hunt down the assailants and security forces have fanned out in all directions, they said.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration set up 24X7 emergency control rooms in Anantnag and Srinagar.
"The death toll is still being ascertained so I don’t want to get into those details. They will be officially conveyed as the situation becomes clearer. Needless to say this attack is much larger than anything we’ve seen directed at civilians in recent years," Abdullah said in a post on X.
"I'm shocked beyond belief. This attack on our visitors is an abomination. The perpetrators of this attack are animals, inhuman and worthy of contempt. No words of condemnation are enough. I send my sympathies to the families of the deceased," he said.
The office of Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha said anti-terror operations had been launched to neutralise terrorists.
"Entire nation is angry & blood of our forces is boiling. I want to assure the nation that perpetrators of Pahalgam attack will have to pay a very heavy price for their heinous act. My heartfelt condolences to bereaved families,” it said on X.
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti called for a complete “Kashmir bandh” on Wednesday to protest the terror attack, a party legislator said.
Pahalgam town, which was teeming with tourists this morning, went into complete silence. Tourists began leaving in droves.
The incident comes when Kashmir is witnessing a surge in tourist arrivals after reeling under militancy for years.
On February 14, 2019, 40 CRPF personnel were killed in a suicide attack in south Kashmir's Pulwama area. Since then, there have been other terror attacks but none as serious.
More than 30 people were killed in an attack on Amarnath base camp in Pahalgam in 2000.
A year later, 13 people died in a strike on Amarnath pilgrims at Sheshnag while 11 persons were killed in another attack in 2002 in the Pahalgam area.
A tourist couple from Rajasthan was injured in a firing incident by terrorists at Yannar in Pahalgam in May last year.
In March 2000 when then US president Bill Clinton was visiting India, terrorists killed 35 Sikhs in Chhattisinghpora in south Kasmir in March 2000.
Baisaran, a campsite for trekkers who then move further up to the Tulian Lake, is accessible from Pahalgam either on foot or on horses. It offers a panoramic view of Pahalgam town and the Lidder Valley.
Jeddah | Prime Minister Narendra Modi abruptly ended his two-day visit to Saudi Arabia and decided to return to New Delhi on Tuesday night following a deadly terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir, government sources said.
Modi, who held bilateral talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah, skipped an official dinner hosted on Tuesday to address the crisis, they added.
He was originally scheduled to return to India on Wednesday night.
Modi, who arrived in Jeddah on Tuesday afternoon, delayed a scheduled meeting with the Saudi Crown Prince by at least two hours on Tuesday evening to assess the situation in Kashmir.
Terrorists opened fire at a famed meadow near Pahalgam town in Jammu and Kashmir, killing 26 people, mostly tourists, in what is the deadliest attack in the Valley since the Pulwama strike in 2019.
The attack, claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist group, prompted an urgent internal meeting at the Ritz Carlton hotel in Jeddah, attended by Modi, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, and other senior officials.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Adviser Doval visited the Royal Palace earlier to brief the Saudi leadership on the sudden change in plans, sources said.
Modi's planned itinerary, which included a visit to a date factory in Jeddah on Wednesday to meet Indian workers, was cancelled.
Modi was set to depart Jeddah after spending less than 12 hours in the Saudi port city.
Sources said he is expected to chair a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security in Delhi on Wednesday to address the escalating situation in Kashmir.
Srinagar | Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Srinagar to review the security situation in Kashmir following a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam in which 26 people were killed, officials said.
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, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan and Director of Intelligence Bureau Tapan Deka were present at the time of the briefing.
The officials had earlier said Shah was scheduled to chair a high-level meeting of security officials.
The home minister is likely to visit Pahalgam on Wednesday, they added.
Terrorists opened fire at a famed meadow near Kashmir's Pahalgam town on Tuesday afternoon, killing 26 people, mostly tourists, in what is the deadliest attack in the valley since the 2019 Pulwama strike.
The dead included two foreigners and two locals, a high ranking official said without getting into details.
The toll is still being ascertained, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said while describing the terror attack as "much larger than anything we've seen directed at civilians in recent years".
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 picnicking, officials and eyewitnesses said.
As news of the attack spread, The Resistance Front (TRF), a shadow group of the banned Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror group, claimed responsibility.
The officials said it was possible members of the terror group crossed over from Kishtwar in Jammu and reached Baisaran through Kokernag in south Kashmir.
Shivamogga (Karnataka) | A businessman from Shivamogga district in Karnataka was shot dead by terrorists in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, his family said.
Manjunath Rao (47), hailing from Vijayanagar in Shivamogga district, had gone to Pahalgam with his wife Pallavi and son Abhijaya.
"My husband was shot dead by terrorists in front of our eyes," Pallavai told local news channels in Karnataka over the phone.
She further said that she asked the terrorists to kill her as well, to which they replied that she should be alive to convey the message to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah condoled Manjunath Rao's demise and assured all support to his family.
According to senior officials, several tourists were killed and at least 20 were injured when terrorists opened fire in a picturesque meadow near Kashmir’s Pahalgam town.
"I strongly condemn the heinous terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam, J&K. Kannadigas are among the victims of this shocking incident. Upon receiving the news, I convened an emergency meeting and reviewed the situation with the Chief Secretary and senior police officials. I have also spoken to the Resident Commissioner in Delhi," Siddaramaiah said on 'X'.
He said following his directions, two teams - one of senior officers and another of police personnel - have been dispatched to J&K.
An adventure team from the Sports Department, led by Commissioner Chethan, is also en route.
"We are closely monitoring the developments. All necessary support will be extended. Please be assured, the Government of Karnataka stands firmly with those affected," the chief minister said.
One of the family members of Manjunath said,"we have not informed Manjunath's mother yet. We don't know how we will tell her."
Neighbours, relatives, and friends made a beeline to meet the bereaved family.
Timeline of major terror attacks on civilians in Kashmir since 2000.
March 21, 2000
Militants targeted the minority Sikh community in Chattisinghpora village in Anantnag district on the night of March 21, killing 36 people.
August 2000
Thirty-two people, including two dozen Amarnath pilgrims, were killed in a terror attack at the Nunwan base camp.
July 2001
Amarnath yatris were again targeted, this time at the Sheshnag base camp in Anantnag, killing 13.
October 1, 2001
Jammu & Kashmir State Legislature Complex in Srinagar was struck by a suicide (fidayeen) terrorist attack, killing 36 people.
2002
Terror struck at Chandanwari base camp, and 11 Amarnath yatris were killed.
November 23, 2002
Nineteen people, including nine security force personnel, three women and two children, lost their lives in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast at Lower Munda in South Kashmir on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway.
March 23, 2003
Terrorists massacred at least 24 Kashmiri Pandits, including 11 women and two children, at Nandimarg village in Pulwama district.
June 13, 2005
Thirteen civilians, including two school children, and three CRPF officers were killed, and over 100 people sustained injuries when an explosives-laden car blew up at a crowded marketplace in front of a government school in Pulwama.
June 12, 2006
Nine Nepali and Bihari labourers were killed in Kulgam.
July 10, 2017
Attack on Amarnath Yatra bus in Kulgam, 8 killed.
Besides these attacks, security personnel, too, have continually faced violence. A notable example was the 2019 Pulwama attack, where 40 CRPF personnel lost their lives.
