At least one died and five others were injured after 2-3 terrorists wearing military uniforms opened fire at tourists in the Baisran area of Pahalgam in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Tuesday, according to reports.
Security forces promptly responded to the incident, and the area has been cordoned off.
Two local and three non-local tourists reportedly sustained bullet injuries in the attack at Baisran meadow, a popular tourist destination in Pahalgam.
According to reports, a female tourist called the PCR of Kashmir Police, stating that terrorists opened fire on her and her husband, who is critically injured with bullet wounds to the head.
Security personnel rushed to the spot immediately after the attack and launched a cordon-and-search operation to track down the assailants. The area remains on high alert, with additional reinforcements deployed to ensure the safety of civilians and tourists.
The incident occurred during the Valley's busiest tourist period and coincided with nationwide registration for the Amarnath Yatra pilgrimage. This 38-day religious journey is scheduled to begin July 3, following two routes: the longer 48-km path through Pahalgam in Anantnag district and the shorter but more challenging 14-km trail via Baltal in Ganderbal district.
During his recent trip to Jammu and Kashmir, Union Home Minister Amit Shah led a high-level security assessment meeting where he directed officials to completely eliminate terrorism, with particular emphasis on the Jammu region. He also instructed authorities to implement a zero-tolerance policy regarding infiltration.
Former J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti condemned the cowardly attack on tourists in a social media post, stating, "Such violence is unacceptable and must be denounced."
According to Mufti, five tourists were killed and several others injured; however, official figures have not yet been released.
