Terror Strikes Pahalgam's 'Mini Switzerland': 27 Tourist Killed, Several Injured In First Attack Since UT Elections

Srinagar/Anantang: Kashmir bled again on Tuesday as terrorists shot dead 27 civilians, mostly tourists, at the famous health resort of Pahalgam in South Kashmir.

According eyewitnesses, terrorists opened fire at civilians at a famed meadow Baisaran killing at least 27 of them. The attack was the deadliest in Kashmir since the Pulwama strike in 2019.

They said that the exact number of casualties is being ascertained and the toll may go up. The attack came up at a time when US Vice President J D Vance is visiting India and just as the tourist and trekking season is picking up momentum.

Baisaran, about 6 kilometres from Pahalgam, is an expansive meadow dubbed ‘mini Switzerland’ ringed by dense pine forests and mountains and a favourite with visitors from across the country and the world.

Witnesses said that the terrorists appeared in the meadow around 3 pm and resorted to indiscriminate firing at civilians milling around eateries, taking pony rides or just picnicking.

Videos which went viral on social media painted a chilling picture of gunfire breaking the calm of a regular afternoon with scores of people enjoying their day out. Cries for help were heard as lifeless bodies lay motionless in pools of blood.

With Baisaran accessible only by foot or horses, choppers were deployed to evacuate the injured. The families of those killed and injured were taken to the government-owned Pahalgam Club under tight security.

The entire district administration and police force was mobilised and ambulances pressed into service.

Some of the injured were brought down from the meadow by local people on their ponies.

Army, CRPF and local police rushed to Baisaran after news came in of gunshots being heard, officials said.

A massive anti-terrorist operation has been launched to hunt down the assailants and security forces have fanned out in all directions, they said.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration set up 24X7 emergency control rooms in Anantnag and Srinagar.

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah immediately landed in Srinagar to personally oversee the response and security measures in the region. Shah convened high-level discussions with senior officials and security agencies to review the situation and ensured that those responsible for the attack would be brought to justice.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the attack, calling it a “cowardly assault on innocent civilians.” He directed the Home Minister to ensure swift and decisive action to address the incident. Modi further emphasized the need for justice and the restoration of public safety in the region.

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha expressed deep sorrow, offering condolences to the victims’ families and stating, “The targeting of innocent tourists is an unforgivable crime. We will ensure that those responsible face justice swiftly.”

In response to the tragedy, security forces launched a massive combing operation in the surrounding forest areas, with high-level administrative officials already on-site.

The Tuesday terror attack on tourists in the first of its kind after the 2024 assembly elections of the Union territory after abrogation of Article 370, 35-A in 2019.

The Home minister Amit Shah was instructed by the prime minister Narendra Modi, who was on a Saudi Arabia visit, by telephone.  

According to lady eyewitness, two to three gunmen came down from the nearby mountain  and called her husband to few yards away and opened fire upon him on his head and killed him on the spot, while some fired indiscriminately on tourists who were enjoying a horse ride in Baisaran, a lush, high-altitude meadow located in Pahalgam . The location is not motorable and the tourists and the people generally visit the location on phony.

The remote area, known for its breathtaking views and proximity to the Amarnath Yatra base camp, is accessible only by foot or pony. “We heard sudden gunshots, and people started screaming and running for cover,” said an eyewitness. “It all happened very quickly.”

One of the tourists, identified as Shalinder Kalpiya of Orissa, succumbed to his injuries while being shifted to a hospital, reports said. Authorities, though, did not identify the injured, but sources confirmed that the death toll could increase as several injured were stated to be critical.

The wife of the deceased was witnessed screaming near the blood soaked of her injured husband and she was seen on social media asking for help to save her husband.

However, unofficial sources identified some of the names of the injured tourists; Veeni Bhat resident of Gujarat, Manik patil , Rino pandey , S Balachandru of Maharashtra, Dr. Parmeshwar , Abhijavan Rao of Karnataka , Abhijan  , Santru of Tamil Nadu and Sahshi Kumari of Orissa etc.

The official sources disclosed that Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Srinagar and visited the spot where the terror attack tool place.

Chief Spokesperson of Awami Ittihad Party of Engineer Rashid , Inam Un Nabi, also issued a scathing condemnation on social media, sharing a disturbing image from the aftermath and tweeting:

“This picture will scar the soul of every human being with a heart. A woman cradling the lifeless body of her beloved—moments after a brutal terror attack in Pahalgam. What was supposed to be a peaceful day turned into a nightmare soaked in blood. Innocent lives lost for no reason—shattered by senseless violence. We stand with the innocent.”

The party emphasized that such barbaric acts of terror have no place in any society and must be unequivocally condemned by all sections of humanity.

Immediately after the attack security forces launched an extensive search operation in the forests surrounding Baisaran, reports said. Senior police and army officials, including those from counter-terror units, arrived at the scene and are overseeing the rescue and evacuation efforts.

Additional reinforcements were rushed to the spot to assist in tracking down the perpetrators. The Resistance Front (TRF), a Lashkar-e-Taiba offshoot, reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack. The attack comes at a sensitive time, just over two months before the annual Amarnath Yatra is set to begin on July 3. Beisdes, when the tourist season for the Kashmir valley had just set in.  

The Amarnath yatra draws thousands of pilgrims each year, and Pahalgam serves as one of the two base camps. The timing of the attack, amid the spring tourist season, is being viewed by officials as a deliberate attempt to destabilize Kashmir valley and instil fear among visitors.

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and chief minister Omar Abdullah condemned the attack. In a post on X, Sinha assured the people that those behind this despicable attack will not go unpunished.  “Spoke to the DGP & Security officials. Army and J&K Police teams have rushed to the area and launched search operations,” he said.

Omar Abdullah in a post on X said: “I’m shocked beyond belief. This attack on our visitors is an abomination. The perpetrators of this attack are animals, inhuman & worthy of contempt No words of condemnation are enough. I send my sympathies to the families of the deceased.”

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq , Kashmir’s top clergyman also expressed his anguish over the terror attack on tourists and tweeted and said:  “Deeply disturbing news from Pahalgam of a cowardly attack on tourists that has resulted in tragic loss of life . Such violence is unacceptable and against the ethos of Kashmir which welcomes visitors with love and warmth. Condemn it strongly. Thoughts and prayers with the families of victims and wishing speedy recovery to the injured.”

In a heartfelt message, Senior AIP Leader and MLA Langate, Sheikh Khursheed, stated:

“The Pahalgam attack is highly condemnable. My heartfelt thoughts are with the families of the victims, and I pray for the swift recovery of the injured. Kashmir has always been known for its warmth, hospitality, and the kindness of its people—especially towards tourists. Such acts of violence against innocent civilians not only go against the values of humanity but also tarnish the image of a region known for its beauty and culture. There is no justification for terror and such attacks must be condemned by all. We stand in solidarity with the victims and hope that peace prevails.”

People's Democratic Party (PDP) president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti also condemned the terror attack. “I strongly condemn the cowardly attack on tourists in Pahalgam, which tragically killed one and injured several. Such violence is unacceptable and must be denounced," she posted on X.

It may be recalled that on February 14, 2019, 40 CRPF personnel were killed in a suicide attack in south Kashmir’s Pulwama area. Since then, there have been other terror attacks but none as serious. More than 30 people were killed in an attack on Amarnath base camp in Pahalgam in 2000.

A year later, 13 people died in a strike on Amarnath pilgrims at Sheshnag while 11 persons were killed in another attack in 2002 in the Pahalgam area.

A tourist couple from Rajasthan was injured in a firing incident by terrorists at Yannar in Pahalgam in May last year. In March 2000 when then US president Bill Clinton was visiting India, terrorists killed 35 Sikhs in Chhattisinghpora in south Kashmir in March 2000.

Baisaran, a campsite for trekkers who then move further up to the Tulian lake, is accessible from Pahalgam either on foot or on horses. It offers a panoramic view of Pahalgam town and the Lidder valley..