SRINAGAR, Apr 23 (Alliance News): At least 26 people were killed and 17 injured when gunmen opened fire on a group of tourists in Pahalgam, a popular tourist site in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) on Tuesday, in the deadliest attack on civilians in the region in nearly two decades.
According to police officials, the shooting took place in a remote meadow area nearly 90 kilometers from Srinagar, where attackers reportedly disguised in uniform ambushed unarmed tourists, opening fire at close range.
The deceased included 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen.
A group calling itself the “Kashmir Resistance” claimed responsibility, citing opposition to the settlement of over 85,000 “outsiders” in the region, accusing Indian authorities of engineering a demographic change in the disputed Himalayan territory.
The assault triggered widespread panic. Airlines launched emergency evacuation flights, while tourists scrambled to leave the region.
Schools shut down and local civil society groups called for a complete shutdown in protest against the brutal killing of visitors whose presence had been contributing to the local economy.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi immediately cut short his visit to Saudi Arabia, returning to New Delhi on Wednesday morning. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also aborted her foreign tour to return home, describing it as a time to stand with the nation in “this tragic and difficult time”.
Modi condemned the “heinous act”, saying: “Their evil agenda will never succeed. Our resolve to fight terrorism is unshakable.” He assured the nation that the perpetrators will be brought to justice.
Former US President Donald Trump expressed full support to India in a phone call to Modi, pledging help to “bring the attackers to justice.” The EU’s Ursula von der Leyen also extended solidarity, saying “Europe will stand with you.”
IIOJK Chief Minister Omar Abdullah described the massacre as “an abomination” and “much larger than anything we’ve seen directed at civilians in recent years.”
Police sources said the attackers spent nearly 20 minutes moving through the meadow, firing on tourists who mistook them for security personnel. Survivors described scenes of horror, with men being shot at point-blank range, according to The Indian Express.
Among the victims was reportedly an Indian Navy officer.
Tourist attacks in the region are rare. The last major attack was in June 2024, when nine pilgrims died and dozens were injured after an ambush led to their bus plunging into a gorge.
Authorities say over 3.5 million domestic tourists visited Kashmir in 2024 alone, attracted by its winter skiing and summer landscapes.
India stripped Kashmir of its special constitutional status in 2019, splitting the region into two federally controlled territories and allowing outsiders to buy land and claim jobs, a move that inflamed tensions with Pakistan and among the Kashmiri population.
The most deadly incident prior to this was the 2019 Pulwama attack, where 40 Indian paramilitary personnel were killed in a suicide bombing.
Currently, India maintains a permanent deployment of around 500,000 troops in the territory, making it one of the most militarized zones in the world.
Security has been further tightened following Tuesday’s incident, and investigations are ongoing to apprehend the attackers.
