At least 12 tourists were injured and multiple casualties are feared after unidentified gunmen launched a brutal terrorist attack in Pahalgam, a popular tourist destination in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir, on Tuesday.
Survivors Share Gut-Wrenching Accounts
Haunting visuals and firsthand accounts from the scene have left the nation shaken. In one heart-wrenching video, a woman can be seen crying uncontrollably, pleading with passersby to help her husband, who lay critically wounded.
“Save my husband, please…” she weeps, her voice barely audible through sobs.
Another woman, who had been eating bhelpuri with her husband when the attack took place, said the gunman approached them and accused her husband of not being a Muslim before shooting him.
“He said, ‘You’re not a Muslim,’ and shot him point-blank,” she recalled in shock.
Attack at Baisaran Meadow
The attack occurred at Baisaran, a scenic meadow surrounded by lush hills, only accessible by foot or pony. A group of tourists had gone there for sightseeing when the gunmen opened fire from close range.
Eyewitnesses reported that local people rushed to help, using ponies to carry the injured down to safety. Authorities also deployed a helicopter for emergency evacuations.
Government Responds Swiftly
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, directing him to take all necessary measures. Shah is expected to visit the site to assess the situation personally.
“This evil agenda will never succeed,” PM Modi said while strongly condemning the attack.
Jammu and Kashmir’s former CM Omar Abdullah also expressed deep concern, calling it one of the worst attacks on civilians in recent times.
“This attack is much larger than anything we’ve seen directed at civilians in recent years,” he stated.
