In one of the deadliest assaults on civilians in Jammu & Kashmir in recent memory, gunmen opened fire on a group of tourists in the scenic Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam on Tuesday. The attack has sent shockwaves across India, as at least 24 to 26 people were killed and many more injured in what is being described as a calculated strike on the region’s burgeoning tourism sector.
The Attack
The violence erupted at an eatery in Baisaran meadow, a remote but popular destination located roughly five kilometers from Pahalgam, a well-known hill town in the Anantnag district. According to eyewitness accounts, the attackers indiscriminately opened fire on tourists, most of whom were Indian nationals enjoying the springtime in Kashmir. The sudden gunfire triggered panic and chaos, with survivors being evacuated using horses and all-terrain vehicles due to the location’s inaccessibility by conventional vehicles.
Security forces and medical teams arrived swiftly, securing the area and launching an intensive manhunt for the assailants.
Claim of Responsibility and Suspected Involvement of Pakistan
The Resistance Front (TRF), a known proxy of the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), has claimed responsibility for the attack. Indian intelligence and security officials believe the attack was orchestrated with the intent to destabilize the region, particularly at a time when Jammu & Kashmir was witnessing a period of relative peace, rising tourism, and economic revival.
BJP leaders and counter-terrorism experts pointed fingers directly at Pakistan, accusing it of sponsoring cross-border terrorism to derail peace initiatives and threaten India’s national security.
Political and National Response
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, currently on an official visit to Saudi Arabia, condemned the attack in the strongest terms, calling it a “heinous act of terror” and vowed that the perpetrators would be brought to justice.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is en route to Srinagar and has promised “the harshest consequences” for those involved. “This cowardly act of violence will not go unpunished,” Shah stated. Meanwhile, local leaders, including Jammu & Kashmir’s Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, expressed deep sorrow and described the attack as “unprecedented in its scale against civilians.”
Strategic Timing and Implications
The attack comes at a crucial time — just ahead of the annual Amarnath Yatra pilgrimage and during a year of record-breaking tourist inflow to the Valley. Experts see this as a deliberate attempt to disrupt the return of normalcy in Kashmir, hurt the region’s economy, and reignite tensions.
“Terror groups are trying to revive militancy and internationalize the Kashmir issue at a time when it was fading from the global spotlight,” said Lt. Gen. (Retd) Rajesh Chauhan, a security analyst. “Targeting civilians and tourists is a clear sign of desperation.”
The Pahalgam terror attack marks a dark day for Jammu & Kashmir and underscores the persistent threat posed by Pakistan-backed militant groups. By targeting innocent tourists in one of the Valley’s most serene locales, the perpetrators have not only committed a horrific act of violence but also sought to sabotage the fragile sense of peace returning to the region.
As India mourns the loss of innocent lives, its security apparatus gears up for a renewed offensive against terror, with the clear message: those who threaten peace will face the full force of justice.
