Terrorist Attack on Tourists in Pahalgam
Why Terrorist Attack on Tourists in Pahalgam
On 22 April 2025, five militants intruded into the Baisaran Valley plains which is located about 7 km from Pahalgam town in Anantnag district. The area is surrounded by deodar forests on all sides and is a popular spot for tourists and can only be accessed on foot or horseback. The area was not very accessible. The militants were armed with M4 carbines and AK-47s and were wearing military style uniforms. Reports indicate that the attackers asked the victims' names and religion before shooting them. Some of the attackers said they were asked to recite the Islamic verse of Kalima so that the militants could differentiate them on the basis of religion. Men were forced to undress their heads to check for lack of circumcision before being shot at close range. Video footage from the scene showed scenes of panic with the injured terrorists pleading for help and lying scattered on the ground. A local operator, Syed Adil Hussain Shah, reportedly tried to protect the tourists and dodge the gunshot from one of the attackers before he was shot dead. Other accounts indicate that one of the attackers left a woman behind, saying she was being spared so that she could make a statement about the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Another victim, a Hindu from Madhya Pradesh, was shot dead for refraining from reciting the Kalma while a Hindu who recited the Kalma was spared.
At least 26 civilians were killed in the attack, including 23 people from several Indian states, one from Jammu and Kashmir, and two foreign tourists from Nepal and the United Arab Emirates, and at least 20 others were injured. Witnesses stated that most of the victims were male, and the dead and injured included those from the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Gujarat, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. The dead include three Indian Goverment officials: recently married officers from the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy, and an official from the Intelligence Bureau.
The killing of 26 people, most of them tourists, by Islamist terrorists in Pahalgam, Kashmir has stirred the conscience of the nation and the world. It is a painful reminder of the continuing threat of terrorism that strikes innocent civilians without warning. Reports that the attackers killed the victims at close range before they could be identified mark a new low in the history of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. Home Minister Amit Shah, who visited the site of the attack, asserted that India will not bow down to terrorism, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi cut short his visit to Saudi Arabia to return to New Delhi. In a time of national disaster, India must speak with one voice. It is imperative to avoid internal divisions that endanger social unity. The unity of the Indian people is the most powerful barrier to counter terrorism instigated from across the border. A local Muslim man tried to save the victim but lost his life in the process. The incident sparked widespread protests across Kashmir, which also prompted the opposition of ordinary citizens from all parts of India to such violence, reflecting the diversity of people who are drawn to Kashmir because it is a favourite destination. The attack has disrupted not only lives but also livelihoods in a region economically dependent on tourism. New Delhi's response must be addressed to the people of Kashmir, the broader Indian public, Pakistan, and the international community. Since 2019, India has adopted a new policy in Kashmir. It has expanded infrastructure and connectivity to more closely integrate the region with the rest of the country. Yet the broader environment has become more volatile. India's strategy must be guided by national interest and be devoid of empty rhetoric as it seeks to isolate Pakistan, whose justification for terrorism is based on the two-nation theory and Hindu-Muslim hostility. National resolve in the face of terrorism must be focused as the government makes every effort to bring the perpetrators to justice.
