DE News Desk :
In what authorities are calling the deadliest attack on civilians in years, at least 24 people were killed when unidentified gunmen opened fire on a group of tourists in the popular hill resort of Pahalgam on Tuesday, according to a senior police official.
The incident, which unfolded roughly 90 kilometers from Srinagar, has shaken the region and drawn strong condemnation from across the political spectrum.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi denounced the assault as a “heinous act” and vowed justice for the victims.
“Their evil agenda will never succeed. Our resolve to fight terrorism is unshakable and will only grow stronger,” he said in a statement.
Eyewitnesses described a scene of horror.
Waheed, a local tour guide who rushed to the spot upon hearing gunfire, told that he helped to evacuate some of the injured on horseback.
“I saw a few men lying on the ground, looking like they were dead,” he recalled.Authorities are yet to confirm which group is behind the attack.
However, the Kashmir region—disputed between India and Pakistan—has long grappled with a separatist insurgency since 1989, with various armed groups demanding independence or a merger with Pakistan.
A senior police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the shooting as a massacre, and noted that the death toll could rise as more information comes in.
The attack occurred just a day after PM Modi met visiting US Vice President JD Vance in Delhi.
The coincidence has added a geopolitical dimension to the tragedy, underscoring ongoing security concerns in the region.
Jammu and Kashmir’s Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed deep sorrow, stating, “This attack is much larger than anything we’ve seen directed at civilians in recent years.
The death toll is still being verified.” He condemned the attackers as “inhuman” and “worthy of contempt.”
India’s Home Minister Amit Shah announced he is flying to the site of the incident. “We will come down heavily on the perpetrators of this dastardly act.
They will face the harshest consequences,” Shah said in a statement.
Former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, leader of the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party, was among the first to react publicly.
“I strongly condemn the cowardly attack on tourists in Pahalgam, which tragically killed five and injured several others,” she said, citing early figures.
Hospitals in Anantnag, the nearest district hospital, reported receiving multiple wounded victims, including some with gunshot injuries to the neck and chest.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi called the incident “heartbreaking” and said the nation stands united against terrorism.
“The central government must take responsibility and ensure the safety of citizens,” he said.
Kashmir, often dubbed the “Switzerland of the East,” has been heavily promoted in recent years as a tourism hub.
In 2024 alone, the region welcomed around 3.5 million tourists, most of them domestic travelers seeking respite from the summer heat.Authorities had hoped the region’s improving security situation—especially following the revocation of its special constitutional status in 2019—would attract even more visitors.
In 2023, Srinagar hosted a G20 tourism meeting amid tight security, signaling what officials touted as a return to “normalcy.”
India continues to accuse Pakistan of backing militant outfits operating in the region—a charge Islamabad denies, claiming instead to support a peaceful, diplomatic resolution in line with the Kashmiri people’s aspirations.
The latest bloodshed harks back to some of the worst violence in the region’s troubled history.
The most devastating civilian attack in recent memory occurred in March 2000, when 36 people were killed.
In 2019, a suicide bombing in Pulwama targeting security personnel left 40 CRPF personnel dead.
As the investigation into the Pahalgam tragedy unfolds, questions loom over the future of tourism and stability in the Himalayan region.