Terror Strikes Pahalgam: 26 Tourists Killed in Kashmir's Deadliest Attack in Years

In a devastating escalation of violence, at least 26 tourists were killed and several others injured when militants opened fire at Baisaran meadow near Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, 2025. The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility for the attack, which occurred around 1 PM IST in the remote, high-altitude meadow accessible only by foot or pony. Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos as gunmen descended from surrounding forests, targeting civilians in one of the region's most popular tourist destinations. The attack marks the deadliest assault on civilians in Kashmir since the revocation of Article 370 in 2019.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, currently visiting Saudi Arabia, condemned the attack and directed Union Home Minister Amit Shah to oversee the response. Shah arrived in Srinagar to coordinate security efforts and assess the situation firsthand. Security forces have launched a manhunt to apprehend the perpetrators, with preliminary investigations suggesting infiltration from Kishtwar via Kokernag . The incident has drawn widespread condemnation from political leaders, including Omar Abdullah and Priyanka Gandhi, who labeled it a "crime against humanity." The attack has raised concerns about the safety of tourists in the region and the potential impact on Kashmir's tourism industry, which had seen growth in recent years.