Terror Attack in Pahalgam: 26 Tourists Killed, Several Injured in Gunfire at Baisaran Valley

At least twenty six tourists killed and several others injured in a suspected terrorist attack in the Baisaran Valley area of Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. According to reports, gunmen opened fire on a group of tourists.

Gunshots were heard in the upper meadows of Baisaran, a location accessible only on foot or horseback. Eyewitnesses reported that the assailants were dressed in camouflage, raising concerns that the attack was premeditated and targeted. Security forces and medical teams rushed to the spot after the attack. Authorities, in coordination with local residents, used ponies to bring the injured down from the meadows. A helicopter was also deployed to facilitate swift evacuation of the wounded.

Initial reports from police suggest the incident may have been a terror attack targeting a site frequently visited by tourists. An operation is currently underway in the region, with efforts intensified to trace the perpetrators.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is presently on a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, held a telephonic conversation with Union Home Minister Amit Shah. “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,” said the Union Home Minister. Amit Shah has convened a high-level meeting at his residence in New Delhi. The Home Minister also held conversations with J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also reacted with shock and sorrow. “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,” said Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, adding that he would be returning to Srinagar immediately.

Former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti expressed strong condemnation of the attack. “I strongly condemn the cowardly attack on tourists in Pahalgam. Such violence is unacceptable and must be denounced,” she stated. “A thorough investigation is needed to bring the perpetrators to justice and examine potential security lapses. Ensuring visitor safety is paramount, and steps must be taken to prevent future attacks,” she added.

BJP leader Ravinder Raina blamed Pakistan for the attack, stating, “Pakistani terrorists have carried out a cowardly terrorist attack on tourists in Pahalgam, South Kashmir. Cowardly Pakistani terrorists cannot face the brave soldiers of the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and our paramilitary forces.”​