Pahalgam Attack Biggest Since Pulwama, Highest Tourist Casualties in Decades

At least 26 people were killed after militants opened fire at a group of tourists near Pahalgam in South Kashmir.

(At least 26 tourists were killed in a terror attack in Pahalgam)

(PTI)

At least 26 people were killed and dozens injured in a deadly terrorist attack near Pahalgam, a well-known tourist destination in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Tuesday, 22 April. The attack reportedly took place at around 3 pm when armed militants opened fire at a group of tourists at Baisaran meadow, a scenic location about five kilometers from Pahalgam.

According to reports, at least three armed militants are said to have been involved in the attack.

In the wake of the attack, security forces initiated a large-scale operation to capture the attackers. Helicopters were dispatched to evacuate the injured, and emergency response teams were mobilised in Anantnag and Srinagar to assist affected tourists.

PM Modi, CM Abdullah React

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has strongly condemned the attack and stated that those behind it will be brought to justice.

"I strongly condemn the terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that the injured recover at the earliest. All possible assistance is being provided to those affected.

Those behind this heinous act will be brought to justice...they will not be spared! Their evil agenda will never succeed. Our resolve to fight terrorism is unshakable and it will get even stronger.

PM Narendra Modi, on X

Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah also expressed similar sentiments. He wrote on X, "I’m shocked beyond belief. This attack on our visitors is an abomination. The perpetrators of this attack are animals, inhuman & worthy of contempt".

Abdullah said that this is the biggest attack on civilians in recent times.

This attack is much larger than anything we’ve seen directed at civilians in recent years

Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah on X

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has also assured "harshest consequences" for those behind the attacks and he left for Srinagar on Tuesday evening.

Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi also condemned the attack and said that India "stands united" against terrorism.

He also urged the Union government to "take accountability" for what has happened.

"The whole country is united against terrorism. Instead of making hollow claims of the situation being normal in Jammu and Kashmir, the government should now take accountability and take concrete steps so that such barbaric incidents do not happen in the future and innocent Indians do not lose their lives like this," he wrote on X.

It must be noted that while Jammu and Kashmir has an elected government, security comes under the Centre as it is a Union Territory.

Locals in Pahalgam and Srinagar also took out spontaneous candlelight marches to protest against the killings and chanted slogans like "tourists hamari jaan hai" (tourists are our life) and "qatilo ko saza do" (punish the killers).

Biggest Terror Attack Since Pulwama

In terms of casualties, this is the single biggest attack since the 2019 Pulwama Attack that killed 40 personnel of the Central Reserve Paramilitary Force. That attack also took place in South Kashmir.

However, in terms of civilian casualties, it is the biggest attack in decades. The 2006 Doda massacre and the 2002 Qasim Nagar massacres were the last ones of this scale.

Year-wise data of casualties in terror-related incidents in Jammu and Kashmir also reveals a pattern. While the casualties among security forces has steadily gone down from 91 in 2018 and 80 in 2019 (including the Pulwama attack), civilian casualties have remained more or less static except for a sudden fall in 2023.

Who is Behind the Attack?

According to some reports, The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of the banned Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), has claimed responsibility for the attack. However, these claims remain unverified.

Reuters reports that a little known group named "Kashmir Resistance" claimed responsibility for the attack. Reuters reported that an unverified social media message attributed to the group, "expressed discontent that more than 85,000 outsiders had been settled in Kashmir" spurring a "demographic change".

"Consequently, violence will be directed toward those attempting to settle illegally," the message said, according to Reuters.

There are two aspects to note about this attack.

First, it is the biggest attack targeting tourists in Jammu and Kashmir in the recent past. Except attacks on Amarnath pilgrims in the early 2000s and again in 2017, tourists have mostly been spared in the violence in the Valley. The biggest attacks against tourists was the 2000 attack on Amarnath pilgrims.

Second, the timing. It comes during the India visit of United States Vice-President JD Vance. The last time this happened was during President Bill Clinton's India visit in March 2000 when 35 Sikhs were killed in an attack in Chittisinghpora village, also in Anantnag district. There are multiple theories regarding which group was behind the attack. However, like the Pahalgam attack, the perpetrators came wearing military fatigues in Chittisinghpora as well.