2025 Pahalgam attack
In a tragic and brutal incident,
five heavily armed militants launched an attack on non-Muslim tourists near
Pahalgam, a popular tourist destination in Jammu and Kashmir. The attack, which
took place on April 22, 2025, by 02:30 PM claimed the lives of 26
civilians, making it as one of the deadliest assault on civilians.
The assailants, wielding M4 carbines and AK-47 rifles, infiltrated
Baisaran Valley, an area surrounded by dense forest. Their primary
targets were Hindu tourists, though the violence also claimed the life
of a Christian tourist and a local Muslim pony ride operator, who
heroically attempted to disarm the attackers. The Hindu Men’s were shot and killed,
while terrorist left women, when a women (a relative of the killed tourist)
request to kill him too, the terrorist informed, please inform “Modi” about the
attack.
The remaining tourist after hearing the Gun shoot, started leaving the
place, In the wake of the attack, local residents became first
responders, offering immediate aid and shelter to victims. Showing quick
thinking, pony handlers rescued eleven injured tourists using ponies as
transport and improvised stretchers. Sikh temples in Kashmir opened their doors
to shelter fleeing tourists seeking safety and routes home. Emergency services
arrived after news reached district officials, transporting the injured to
local hospitals, with critically wounded individuals airlifted to Srinagar for
advanced care. A helpline was established to support the affected tourists.
Syed Adil Hussain Shah, a local Muslim pony operator, attempted to shield the tourists and struggled to disarm one of the attackers before being fatally shot.
The Resistance Front (TRF), an organization linked to the Pakistan-based
terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), initially claimed responsibility,
stating that the attack was a protest against the influx of non-locals
following the revocation of Kashmir’s special status. However, just four
days later, the group retracted its claim. TRF has previously taken
responsibility for several violent incidents in the region.
Eyewitness accounts describe the horrifying moments when the attackers
singled out male tourists, demanding to know their religion before executing Hindu
victims at close range. In some instances, the militants reportedly forced
individuals to read the Islamic Kalima to distinguish non-Muslims. Among
the victims were several newlywed couples, with husbands being shot in
front of their wives.