Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — At least 26 people were killed and several others seriously injured when armed group opened fire on an attack to a group of tourists in the popular mountain resort town of Pahalgam in Kashmir, India on Tuesday, April 22, 2025.
The victims was tourists visiting Baisaran meadow, a scenic spot about three miles (5 kilometers) from Pahalgam town, when they were ambushed in what authorities are calling a terrorist attack, considered among the deadliest in India.
The area, known for its lush grasslands, pine forests, and snow-capped peaks, attracts hundreds of visitors each day and is widely regarded as a summer retreat.
Police told The Associated Press that at least four armed men opened fire at close range, targeting tourists as they explored the popular highland meadow.
At least 26 people were killed, including 25 Indians, and one Nepalese Nationals. Meanwhile, 17 others people were injured, some critically, while others sustained minor wounds in the chaos that followed.
The massacre marks India’s deadliest assault on civilians since the 2008 Mumbai attacks, in which over 160 people were killed during a multi-day siege by Pakistan-based militants.
The attack comes as Indian authorities have been working to promote Kashmir’s tourism sector as a cornerstone of regional economic revival. The region had seen a surge in visitor numbers in recent years following a relative lull in violence.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was on an official visit to Saudi Arabia at the time, condemned the killings as a “heinous act” and vowed justice. “We will track down those responsible and ensure they face the full force of the law,” Modi said in a statement from Riyadh.
A little-known militant group calling itself the Kashmir Resistance claimed responsibility of the attack via a social media post. The group accusing Indian government of resettling more than 85,000 “outsiders” in the region and triggering a demographic transformation.
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The region has been mired in conflict since 1989, when armed insurgents launched a separatist movement demanding either independence from India or union with neighboring Pakistan. Though militant activity has declined in recent years, Tuesday’s attack signals a troubling escalation.
Attacks on tourists in Kashmir are exceedingly rare. The last such incident occurred in June 2024, when nine people were killed and 33 wounded after a militant assault caused a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims to plunge into a gorge.
India Authorities are urging tourists to remain cautious, and additional security has been deployed across the region. Flights from Srinagar, the nearest major city, are being increased to accommodate the exodus of visitors in the wake of the attack.
(Raidi/Agung)
