27 Killed in Pahalgam Attack on Tourist

27 Killed in Pahalgam Attack on Tourist Where peace once lived.

PAHALGAM, India — April 22, 2025, became one of the bloodiest days in Kashmir’s recent memory. At approximately 2:50 p.m., a group of four to six militants opened fire on tourists at Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam, a town in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district, located about 95 kilometers from Srinagar. Pahalgam is a picturesque town nestled in the Lidder Valley, a remote tourist spot accessible by foot or pony. It is a popular tourist destination and acts as the starting point for the annual Amarnath Yatra pilgrimage. At least 27 people were killed in the attack, officials said, marking one of the deadliest attacks targeting civilian in the region since 2019. The Resistance Front, an offshoot of the militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility for the attack. Amidst the instability, Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued a statement condemning the attack — “Those behind this heinous attack will not be spared… they will not be spared!” Eyewitnesses claimed that the attackers initially posed as policemen, asking for names and demanding that the victims recite the kalma before opening fire. One assailant allegedly told a woman that she was being spared so she could “narrate the horrors” to Modi. Video footage reveals bloodied bodies lying on the ground and injured victims pleading for help amidst the chaos. The bloodstained valleys became a victim of the horrors that occurred that day. Emergency response services reached the site shortly after news of the attack reached district headquarters. Two critically injured victims were taken to Anantnag district hospital, while others were airlifted to a military facility in Srinagar. A joint search and cordon operation involving local police and the Indian Army was launched in the area to locate the attackers, along with a temporary lockdown imposed in various parts of Pahalgam. The attack stands as the deadliest attack against civilians in the Kashmir valley after the revocation of Article 370 which stripped its special status of Jammu and Kashmir. In June 2024, several militants opened fire on a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims, causing it to lose control and plummet into a gorge. Earlier, in January 2023, similar attacks took place in the Dangri village of the Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir.

Home Minister Amit Shah has departed for the volatile region to oversee the situation firsthand. Prime Minister Narendra Modi cut short his trip to Saudi Arabia and returned to India immediately. Meanwhile, global leaders such as the USA, Israel, UAE, France, Russia, and many others strongly condemned the attack. The government has promised compensation and stepped up security measures, as investigations into the attack continue. Our prayers stand with the families shattered by this tragedy. We mourn the innocent lives lost.