 "Gunmen wore army fatigues, asked tourists their religion before shooting: How the Pahalgam terror attack unfolded")
It was an ordinary Tuesday in the woods of Baisaran in south Kashmir’s Pahalgam. Around 1,000 to 1,500 tourists were in the area taking in the beauty of the area, which is dubbed as ‘mini Switzerland’.
But within hours, the day turned into a tragedy when terrorists breached the area and opened fire on tourists, killing at least 26 of them in what is now being termed as one of the worst attacks in Jammu and Kashmir.
Shortly after the attack, the Lashkar-e-Taiba’s offshoot, the Resistance Front (TRF), claimed responsibility for it.
Read live update from the Pahalgam terror attack here
The incident has drawn outrage from all corners of the country and across the globe as well. Prime Minister Narendra Modi , who was in Jeddah at the time of the attack, has returned to New Delhi and vowed that those responsible wouldn’t be spared. Meanwhile, Home Minister Amit Shah also rushed to Jammu and Kashmir where he is expected to visit the site of the attack.
As the country looks on in shock and horror, we take a closer look at how the gunmen unleashed their brand of terror on innocent civilians.
Terror unleashed in the afternoon
According to security officials who have spoken to survivors and eye-witnesses, the attack unfolded around 2.30 pm. Tourists were enjoying pony rides in the meadows of the Baisaran valley when around two to three men dressed in fatigues emerged from the dense forest and surrounded the valley.
Gulzar Ahmad, a local resident, was among the first to witness the chaos. He described the moments leading up to the attack, noting the rising panic among both tourists and locals. “We were standing at the stand when some customers had gone to the upper side. Around 2:45 pm, we saw people running in all directions, screaming. We asked what had happened, and that’s when we learned a gunshot had been fired. It was clear something terrible was happening.”
A police official quoting a woman survivor added, “The men surrounded us after descending from the forests. They asked for our names. We thought they were policemen.
“Suddenly, they opened fire on the men and left the women unharmed. They shot some of the men from point-blank range.”
Another tourist belonging to Maharashtra’s Pune, recounted to _India Toda_y, a blow-by-blow account of what actually happened at the attack site, claiming that they singled out Hindu tourists and shot them.
“The terrorists suddenly appeared and began firing indiscriminately. While some of them opened fire, others grabbed the Hindus present and forced them to recite the Azan. Then they resumed firing and shot my father and uncle,” she told the media outlet, adding that the assailants claimed their religion was “in danger” because of the Hindus.
Another woman survivor also narrated how the gunmen shot dead her husband, Manjunath Rao, and the chilling words that one of them uttered later. “Three of us – me, my husband and our son – had gone to Kashmir. We were at Pahalgam. He died on the spot, in front of my eyes. It still feels like a bad dream,” said Pallavi to India Today.
She further recalled, “Three to four people attacked us. I told them – kill me too, you’ve already killed my husband. One of them said, I won’t kill you. Go tell this to Modi.”
Shooting continued for a while
According to survivors, the gunmen were in the area for a while before they fled the scene. “It seemed like an eternity,” one of the tourists was quoted by Indian Express as telling investigators. “They were there at least for 20 minutes, undeterred, moving around and opening fire.”
Survivors narrated that after the terrorists left the scene, tour guides and the locals rushed into action, helping them get out of the place. “The people who took us to the spot on ponies helped us – three women, including myself and my mother – make the return journey. Later, we underwent medical examination to check for injuries and were then shifted to Pahalgam Club,” said one woman to PTI.
Attack was meticulously planned
Intelligence sources have been quoted as saying that those involved in the attack had infiltrated the Valley just days ago. News18 citing sources reported that the attackers reached Pahalgam via the Poonch route — a journey that takes nearly seven hours by road. A senior government official posted in Kashmir mentioned the possibility that the terrorists may have paused en route before carrying out the attack.
Sources also said that the attackers had conducted reconnaissance of the area prior to executing the assault.
Agencies suspect the strike was carefully planned, with terrorists lying low and waiting for an opportune moment. Sources also revealed that Saifullah Kasuri, the deputy chief of LeT and close aide of wanted terrorist Hafeez Saeed, is said to be the mastermind of the Pahalgam attack.
The attackers used AK-47 rifles as 7.62mm bullet shells were recovered from the scene.
Government officials believe that the TRF chose this moment for the attack as it coincided with the timing of the United States Vice President JD Vance’s visit to India . At the time of the tragedy, the US vice president was in Jaipur, a day after he had met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the capital.
The sources, as per a News18 report, further said intelligence agencies had warned about a “hot summer” in Jammu and Kashmir this year.
Search ops on in Jammu and Kashmir
The security forces deployed in the area are now carrying out search operations in order to hunt down the terrorists. News18 reports that around four-six terrorists are still believed to be hiding in the hills around Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam.
In fact, the first photo of a suspected terrorist has surfaced. In a screengrab taken from one of videos from the site, a man, suspected to be terrorist, can be seen in kurta with an AK series assault rifle. Security agencies believe that this is one of the terrorists involved in the Pahalgam terror attack.
Moreover, tourists are fleeing the area fearing the worst. Sameer Bharadwaj of Delhi told news agency ANI, “We have been in Kashmir for the last three days. We had plans for Pahalgam, but since the situation is not good here, we are leaving for Delhi.”
Meanwhile, Home Minister Amit Shah has reached Jammu and Kashmir where Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police Nalin Prabhat briefed him of the situation. Also, PM Modi is back in Delhi after cutting short his Saudi Arabia visit and he is expected to head a Cabinet Committee on Security meeting.
With inputs from agencies
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