In the gravest terror attack in Kashmir since the 2019 Pulwama bombing, at least 28 people, including two foreigners, a Navy officer and an Intelligence Bureau official, were gunned down in a cold-blooded strike at the Baisaran meadow above Pahalgam on Tuesday afternoon.
The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the Lashkar-e-Toiba, claimed responsibility for the ambush that turned a tranquil tourist spot into a blood-soaked killing field. The deceased included 24 tourists from states such as Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, along with two locals.
Lieutenant Vinay Narwal, 26, a Navy officer from Haryana who had recently married on 16 April, and IB officer Manish Ranjan from Bihar, currently posted in Hyderabad, were among the victims. Ranjan had travelled to Kashmir with his family on LTC.
Eyewitnesses recounted chilling scenes of the carnage, revealing how armed terrorists infiltrated the verdant grassland and methodically separated women and children before opening fire on the men.
“There was panic and tourists ran for cover but there was no place to hide,” said a woman tourist. “They first asked the name before shooting down the victims.”
Asavari Jagdale, 26, daughter of Pune businessman Santosh Jagdale, said, “My father was asked to come out and recite an Islamic verse. When he couldn’t, they shot him thrice: once in the head, then behind the ear and then his back.” Her uncle too was shot multiple times. “We were a group of five people, including my parents,” she said.
The wounded were evacuated using ponies and helicopters as the narrow trail leading to Baisaran is accessible only by foot or horse. Locals rushed to aid the survivors, ferrying them down the hills to the Government-run Pahalgam Club, where victims’ kin were later assembled under tight security.
Security forces, including the Army, police, CRPF and elite para commandos, have launched a massive manhunt. A cordon and search operation is underway in the area, which lies about six kilometres above Pahalgam town.
An official said thirteen people died on the spot, while others succumbed to injuries later. One woman was also among the deceased. At least two dozen others were injured.
The sudden eruption of gunfire broke the serenity of the pine-ringed meadow, popular among trekkers en route to Tulian Lake. Mobile phone footage captured by a tourist at the time of the attack showed people fleeing in panic as gunshots echoed.
A woman seen in a widely circulated video pleaded, “My husband was shot in the head. Please save him.” In another clip, a survivor can be heard saying he had a narrow escape.
Local tourism workers, including pony handlers and guides, assisted in rescuing the wounded, even as many fled in fear. Survivors were seen lying low inside tents or out in the open, shielding themselves from further fire.
“They blamed us for supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” said Jagdale. “They shot several other males who were at the spot. There was nobody to help. No police or Army. Even the locals there were reciting the Islamic verse.”
The attack has left Pahalgam deserted, with most tourists fleeing by evening. The bustling resort town that had been welcoming holidaymakers only hours earlier is now enveloped in silence and fear.
This is the deadliest assault on civilians in the Valley in recent years. In October 2024, six migrant workers and a doctor were shot near a tunnel construction site in Ganderbal. Prior incidents have targeted Amarnath pilgrims and labourers, as well as the J&K Legislative Assembly in 2001.
Also read: Terrorists gun down 26 tourists in Kashmir, many injured
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