SRINAGAR: At least 28 tourists were killed and many wounded on Tuesday when terrorists opened fire in a picturesque meadow near the resort town of Pahalgam in J&K, marking the deadliest attack since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
The Resistance Front, a proxy of ISI-backed LeT, claimed responsibility for the attack.
The attack coincided with US Vice-President J D Vance’s four-day visit to India and PM Narendra Modi’s arrival in Saudi Arabia for strengthening bilateral engagement with the influential Islamic country. Equally significantly, it followed a bellicose speech of Asim Munir, chief of the Pakistan army, the mainstay of terrorists.
This was the deadliest attack on tourists since militancy began in Kashmir in the 1990s. It brought back memories of the March 2000 massacre in Chittisinghpora in Anantnag district, where 36 members of the Sikh community were killed days before US President Bill Clinton’s visit to India.
The synchroneity fitted in well with Pakistan’s attempt to secure international intervention in J&K by casting it as the trigger for a potential nuclear conflagration between the hostile neighbours.
The targeting of tourists drawn from different parts, showed the diabolical intent and, perhaps, an attempt to cause communal unrest across the country. Jihadis have lately refrained from attacking tourists who bring valuable money to the Union territory.
Survivors said the terrorists, believed to be foreigners numbering around six and dressed in Army fatigues, identified their victims by faith asking them to tell their names and recite Islamic verses before spraying bullets on them from close range.
Gunmen struck around 1.30pm in Baisaran meadow – about 7km from Pahalgam and reachable either by foot and or by horses – as scores of tourists were enjoying a regular afternoon, surrounded by snow-capped peaks and pine forests. Pahalgam’s meadow is a top sightseeing spot that draws hundreds of visitors daily. Heavy security presence, including checkpoints and armed patrols, provided a sense of security.
Victims included honeymooners such as Navy officer Vinay Narwal. Posted at Southern Naval Command in Kochi, the officer was married on April 16. Two foreign nationals – one from Nepal and the other from UAE – were also killed.
Security forces quickly evacuated the wounded to nearby hospitals and launched a search operation to track down the attackers. The area was cordoned off.
