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Pahalgam attack: At least 26 tourists died in the attack [UPDATE@ POST#963]

Pakistan concerned over loss of tourists’ lives as 26 killed in India-held Kashmir attack, says FO

Pakistan on Wednesday said it was “concerned at the loss of tourists’ lives” as 26 people were killed when gunmen opened fire on visitors in a popular destination in India-occupied Kashmir (IoK) a day ago.

The attack took place in Pahalgam, a tourist hotspot in the scenic Muslim-majority territory that draws thousands of visitors every summer, as gunmen violence has reduced in recent years.

At least 26 people were killed, security sources told AFP, in the region’s deadliest attack on civilians since 2000. The dead included a navy officer and foreign tourists, The Hindu reported.

Responding to media queries concerning the attack, FO Spokesperson Shafqat Khan in a statement said: “We are concerned at the loss of tourists’ lives in an attack in Anantnag district of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

“We extend our condolences to the near ones of the deceased and wish the injured a speedy recovery,” he added.

Former foreign minister Khurram Dastgir Khan also expressed his concern over the loss of life during the attack.

“Condolences to families and near ones of the deceased and wish the injured a speedy recovery,” he said in a post on X.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi decried the “heinous act” in the summer retreat of Pahalgam, pledging the attackers “will be brought to justice”.

The killings come a day after Modi met in New Delhi with US Vice President JD Vance, who is on a four-day tour of India with his wife and children.

Some of the victims were from distant regions of India, which included Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Karnataka.

Pahalgam lies 90 kilometres by road from the key city of Srinagar. It sits on a scenic meadow that has been used as a backdrop in Indian movies, most notably Bobby.

It also falls on the route of the annual Amarnath Yatra — a Hindu pilgrimage to a cave shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva — which makes it one of the most protected regions of India-held Jammu and Kashmir.

The brazen attack in the highly protected zone has raised eyebrows across the region.

A hitherto unknown group, named by several Indian outlets as ‘The Resistance Front’, is said to have claimed responsibility for the attack.

A similar incident took place ahead of former US president Bill Clinton’s visit to Delhi in the year 2000, when 36 Indians were killed, but there has been considerable dispute over who staged it.

At the time, India had blamed Pakistan-based militants, but Indian and Kashmiri observers decried it as an alleged plot by the Indian army.

Following the attack, several Indian media outlets and social media accounts began linking the attack to Pakistan, without any evidence to substantiate the claim.

While pundits on Indian TV channels ratcheted up their customary anti-Pakistan rhetoric, there was no official finger-pointing towards Islamabad in the hours immediately following the attack.

According to The Statesman, local police only reposted the X posts of the president, the prime minister, the home minister, and the local governor.

Former federal minister Khawaja Saad Rafique condemned Indian media’s attempt to blame Pakistan for the attack “without any evidence”, calling it “highly irresponsible, absurd and baseless.

Modi held a meeting with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in the morning after he cut short his state visit to Saudi Arabia over the attack, The Indian Express reported.

India’s Home Minister Amit Shah also rushed to the region to coordinate with authorities and met the survivors, the outlet added.

Following the attack, the Indian army claimed to have killed two fighters along with foiling an infiltration attempt in the Uri sector in IoK’s north, The Indian Express said.

‘Men targeted’

A tour guide in Pahalgam told AFP he reached the scene after hearing gunfire and had transported some of the wounded away on horseback.

Waheed, who gave only one name, said he saw several men lying dead on the ground, while a witness who requested anonymity said the attackers were “clearly sparing women”.

One security source said that foreign tourists were among those shot, but there was no official confirmation.

Other security sources and some Indian media reported late on Tuesday that 26 people had died, an increase from the 24 that a senior local police officer had earlier told AFP.

“The militants, I can’t say how many, came out of the forest near an open small meadow and started firing,” a witness who asked not to be identified told AFP.

“They were clearly sparing women and kept shooting at men, sometimes a single shot and sometimes many bullets. It was like a storm,” said the man, who cares for horses that are popular with tourists in the area.

The witness said dozens of people fled as the gunmen opened fire. “They all started running around in panic,” he added.

Medics at a hospital in Anantnag said they had received some of the wounded, including those with gunshot wounds.

Witnesses told The Wire that the meadow, which is not serviced by road and can be reached on foot, horseback or by chopper, was buzzing with tourists on Tuesday as the weather had improved after many days of rain and thunderstorms.

“The firing happened in front of us,” one witness told broadcaster India Today, without giving his name, according to Reuters.

“We thought someone was setting off firecrackers, but when we heard other people [screaming], we quickly got out of there … saved our lives and ran.”

“For four kilometres, we did not stop … I am shaking,” another witness was quoted as telling India Today.

The attack occurred in an off-the-road meadow and two or three gunmen were involved, the Indian Express newspaper reported, citing an unidentified senior police officer.

Trump offers Modi ‘full support’

In Washington, the White House said US President Donald Trump had been briefed on what a White House spokesperson described as a “brutal terrorist attack”.

India’s foreign ministry subsequently said Trump called Modi and “expressed full support to India to bring to justice the perpetrators of this heinous attack”.

In his message yesterday as well, Trump said India had the “full support” of the US. “The United States stands strong with India against terrorism.”

Vance offered condolences in a social media post, calling it a “horrific attack”.

In New York, a spokesman for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he “strongly condemns” the attack.

Among other foreign leaders condemning the attack and offering support, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen pledged: “Europe will stand with you.”

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that “the attack is much larger than anything we’ve seen directed at civilians in recent years”, with the death toll still uncertain.

“This attack on our visitors is an abomination,” he added in a statement. “The perpetrators of this attack are animals, inhuman and worthy of contempt.”

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is also Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, called the attack “extremely condemnable and heartbreaking,” while urging the government to move beyond what he termed “hollow claims” of peace in IoK.

“The whole country is united against terrorism,” Gandhi said.

Holiday destination

India has an estimated 500,000 soldiers permanently deployed in the territory, whose limited autonomy Modi’s government revoked in 2019.

“Their evil agenda will never succeed. Our resolve to fight terrorism is unshakable and it will get even stronger,” Modi said in a statement.

In recent years, the authorities have promoted the mountainous region as a holiday destination, both for winter skiing and to escape the sweltering summer heat elsewhere in India.

In 2023, India hosted a G20 tourism meeting in Srinagar under tight security in a bid to show that what officials call “normalcy and peace” were returning after a massive crackdown.

A string of resorts are being developed, including some close to the heavily militarised Line of Control (LoC) between Pakistan and India.

India blames Pakistan for pushing fighters across the LoC to launch attacks on Indian forces.

However, Islamabad has repeatedly denied the allegation.

DAWN NEWS
 
m.shah said:
Development wise it has been great. Govt doing everything for developmental work. Way better than local govt. Army has been more people friendly ,interacting with locals on daily basis. They are doing everything to bridge the gap between local and army. Corruption and scams literally ended . Yes there are some flaws but governor rule was way better than local govt. Tourism was certainly booming but this attack has undone everything as now tourists are cancelling their trip. Kashmiris really got hurt by this but what can common man do. There should have tight security as this place is tourists hub. It's a failure on the part of security and defense. They should immediately resign.
Click to expand...
Alhamdulillah. At least this Government did something meaningful for both the locals and the Army. No wonder the situation was so calm there that many of my family and friends went there for the first time and were amazed by the beauty. They never had a second thought about the safety until now…
 
Bhaag Viru Bhaag said:
He is hurt after getting exposed.
Click to expand...
I remember him praising BLA for releasing Balochis and claim they were only targetting army men and their families so they are not that bad.

Now i wonder how he would feel if someone praised these terrorists for not targeting females and children.

The 180 turn he has taken is just hilarious. Alot of them defended the healthcare given to BLA, and now the same lot is talking about genocide against Muslims.

Like india is a nationalistic country, why would any local in india sympathize with terrorists? There are no such people.
 
Update - India is preparing to take BIG diplomatic action against Pakistan.

— India may CANCEL Indus Waters Treaty.
— India may cut all diplomatic ties with Pakistan.
— India may SHUT down its High Commission in Islamabad..
 
Devadwal said:
Update - India is preparing to take BIG diplomatic action against Pakistan.

— India may CANCEL Indus Waters Treaty.
— India may cut all diplomatic ties with Pakistan.
— India may SHUT down its High Commission in Islamabad..
Click to expand...

All of which benefits India's hindutva program, not Pakistan.
 
Devadwal said:
These are the face of Islamist terrorist who are responsible for this cowardly attack.

View attachment 153704
Click to expand...
This is old photo but these are the terrorist who involved in this attacks after initial investigation .

terrorist Suleman Shah is standing extreme right. terrorist Abu Talha is extreme left.( Both are Pakistani)

One local terrorist Junaid (third person) is already dead in an old encounter.
 
Major said:
so the terrorist involved in the pahalgam attack, should they be given medical treatment in future in India?
Click to expand...

Yes .. treat them, get them healthy and then throw them in jail. Courts will decide their punishment - whether it's life imprisonment or a death sentence. This is how it usually works.
 
RexRex said:
Yes .. treat them, get them healthy and then throw them in jail. Courts will decide their punishment - whether it's life imprisonment or a death sentence.
Click to expand...
whether they are thrown in jail or not thats irrelevant.

So you believe that terrorists that acted against India should get treatment from Indian doctors now and future. By future, that could also mean with fake identities while thye go scott free.

Basically they get treated and are healthy enough to carry out a future attack in India.

Because thats what happened with the BLA terrorists who u guys provided healthcare
 
Major said:
whether they are thrown in jail or not thats irrelevant.

So you believe that terrorists that acted against India should get treatment from Indian doctors now and future. By future, that could also mean with fake identities while thye go scott free.

Basically they get treated and are healthy enough to carry out a future attack in India.

Because thats what happened with the BLA terrorists who u guys provided healthcare
Click to expand...

What usually happens is the hospital as per the rules, notifies the local police if the patient has a gunshot wound and the police investigates the patient. I don't know what the procedure for medical tourists from Pakistan is but I don't think the police are going to prevent the doctors from treating him if he is injured badly, even if they are suspicious.
 
RexRex said:
What usually happens is the hospital notifies the police if the patient has a gunshot wound and the police investigates the patient. I don't what the procedure for medical tourists from Pakistan is but I don't think the police are going to prevent the doctors from treating him if he is injured badly.
Click to expand...
i never discussed the police here.

Im saying if someone who is a known terrorist was to act against India in the future, but not now, and needs treatment, do you justify that treatment he recieves from the doctors?

After treatment he doesnt go to jail, he goes back to his terrorist camp.
 
kaayal said:
Alhamdulillah. At least this Government did something meaningful for both the locals and the Army. No wonder the situation was so calm there that many of my family and friends went there for the first time and were amazed by the beauty. They never had a second thought about the safety until now…
Click to expand...
Yeah it was going smoothly, people were generally happy and focusing on improving living standard. Kashmiri pandits were coming back to their homes and they were welcomed by muslims here. The bond between us was becoming stronger, my grandfather saw his KP friend after so many years and they hugged for 10 minutes and kept crying. These terrorists won't let anyone live happily. But there are 10 lakh forces here, what were they doing? They failed to do their duty. They should be questioned. It is so sad that hardwork done all these years has been undone by this.
 
My only question is how rubbish is the Indian defence despite having all that money anyone can walk in India and do their business or is it an inside job as usual?
 
This affects Kashmiris the most and the people who did this are no friends of Kashmiris. People have taken loans to build their hotels, restaurant and resorts as kashmir was experiencing a peaceful period of no violence. Hopefully india does not give a knee jerk reaction as the emotions must be running high. A well thought out cold response is needed
 
Josh said:
This affects Kashmiris the most and the people who did this are no friends of Kashmiris. People have taken loans to build their hotels, restaurant and resorts as kashmir was experiencing a peaceful period of no violence. Hopefully india does not give a knee jerk reaction as the emotions must be running high. A well thought out cold response is needed
Click to expand...
Hopefully they go out of business if those lands were bought by people outside of Indian Occupied Kashmir.
Under the protection of the article, no outsider was allowed to buy land in Indian Occupied Kashmir.
 
m.shah said:
Yeah it was going smoothly, people were generally happy and focusing on improving living standard. Kashmiri pandits were coming back to their homes and they were welcomed by muslims here. The bond between us was becoming stronger, my grandfather saw his KP friend after so many years and they hugged for 10 minutes and kept crying. These terrorists won't let anyone live happily. But there are 10 lakh forces here, what were they doing? They failed to do their duty. They should be questioned. It is so sad that hardwork done all these years has been undone by this.
Click to expand...
10k forces in Indian occupied Kashmir?

Hmm @Devadwal you were telling us that Indian army is enough for terrorists....
 
Major said:
Hopefully they go out of business if those lands were bought by people outside of Indian Occupied Kashmir.
Under the protection of the article, no outsider was allowed to buy land in Indian Occupied Kashmir.
Click to expand...
They are almost 100 % locals my smart guy.
 
Major said:
Hopefully they go out of business if those lands were bought by people outside of Indian Occupied Kashmir.
Under the protection of the article, no outsider was allowed to buy land in Indian Occupied Kashmir.
Click to expand...
I guess its OK for China to invest in POK though on disputed territory.

:apology
 
Major said:
i never discussed the police here.

Im saying if someone who is a known terrorist was to act against India in the future, but not now, and needs treatment, do you justify that treatment he recieves from the doctors?

After treatment he doesnt go to jail, he goes back to his terrorist camp.
Click to expand...
If a patient comes for a treatment, irrespective of whatever he has done in his life to whom or whatsoever , it’s not our place to judge. A doctor treats him to the best of his efforts because that’s what he is trained to do. Whether they should have been put in jail or not should be decided by the court after trial. We should only do our job.

I really don’t know why i am replying to you but after reading your post i can’t ignore it.:facepalm:
 
Major said:
so people outside of Indian occupied Kashmir were not investing?
Click to expand...
The tourism economy is run by the locals in the valley region. From hotels, resorts, boats everything is run by the local Kashmiris. Local Kashmiri militants usually didn't target tourists even when the local militancy was at its peak.
 
kaayal said:
If a patient comes for a treatment, irrespective of whatever he has done in his life to whom or whatsoever , it’s not our place to judge. A doctor treats him to the best of his efforts because that’s what he is trained to do. Whether they should have been put in jail or not should be decided by the court after trial. We should only do our job.

I really don’t know why i am replying to you but after reading your post i can’t ignore it.:facepalm:
Click to expand...
so a terrorist that will go on to kill citizens later should be given treatment from doctors on govt expense. thats great to hear.
 
emranabbas said:
How terrorists got inside Kashmir? Indian security sleeping?

Definitely inside job

:kp
Click to expand...

Yeap definitely inside job, Hafiz Saeed is one of our soldiers as you can see the organization associated with him living in Pakistan has claimed responsibility.

:kp

www.cnbctv18.com

Pahalgam attack: The Resistance Front claims responsibility; a look at terror attacks in J&K in 25 years - CNBC TV18

The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy unit of Pakistani terrorist Hafiz Saeed's Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), claimed responsibility for the heinous attack in a social media post.
www.cnbctv18.com www.cnbctv18.com
 
Major said:
so people outside of Indian occupied Kashmir were not investing?
Click to expand...
I think that's a tricky question to answer. There's certainly new hotels coming up every few days in the valley - fancy expensive ones. I paid $300 (25K INR) a night for the one I stayed in Pahalgam last year. How much of the funding from them is coming internally, how much externally and how much just loans for which there is no location is impossible to separate.

Certainly a lot of locals involved and printing money from the tourism boom.
 
Red-Indian said:
I think that's a tricky question to answer. There's certainly new hotels coming up every few days in the valley - fancy expensive ones. I paid $300 (25K INR) a night for the one I stayed in Pahalgam last year. How much of the funding from them is coming internally, how much externally and how much just loans for which there is no location is impossible to separate.

Certainly a lot of locals involved and printing money from the tourism boom.
Click to expand...

$300/night ? Yikes thats brutal, was the hotel a 7 star ? Whats it called ?
 
Mohammad Siraj

Just read about the horrific and shocking terrorist attack in Pahalgam.
To target and kill innocent civilians in the name of religion is pure evil...
No cause, no belief, no ideology can ever justify such a monstrous act.Yeh kaisi ladai hai...

jahaan insaan ki jaan ki koi keemat hi nahi..
I can't even begin to imagine the pain and trauma the families must be going through..
May the families find the strength to survive this unbearable grief. We are so sorry for your loss.
I hope this madness ends soon and these terrorists are found and punished, without mercy.



https://twitter.com/x/status/1914940497711218693
 
Mohammad Shami

I am deeply saddened to address the tragic terrorist attack in Pahalgam. This heinous act has resulted in significant loss of innocent lives and has left families shattered. Such violence not only targets individuals but also undermines the fabric of our society. In these testing times, we must stand united in our condemnation of terrorism and extend our heartfelt condolences to the victims' families. It is imperative that we remain steadfast in our commitment to peace and resilience. Our thoughts are with all those affected by this tragedy, and we pray for justice and healing in our community. #PahalgamTerroristAttack

https://twitter.com/x/status/1914957644860735706
 
Devadwal said:
Update - India is preparing to take BIG diplomatic action against Pakistan.

— India may CANCEL Indus Waters Treaty.
— India may cut all diplomatic ties with Pakistan.
— India may SHUT down its High Commission in Islamabad..
Click to expand...
first cancel all the future matches with Pakistan cricket team in all ICC events. thn talk about other things .
 
Devadwal said:
Update - India is preparing to take BIG diplomatic action against Pakistan.

— India may CANCEL Indus Waters Treaty.
— India may cut all diplomatic ties with Pakistan.
— India may SHUT down its High Commission in Islamabad..
Click to expand...
●How do you know the terrorists were from pakistan?

●having all this money your security is still poor

●terrorists have entered India territory many times could it be inside job? Or is it just poor security despite having so much money?
 
m.shah said:
Yeah it was going smoothly, people were generally happy and focusing on improving living standard. Kashmiri pandits were coming back to their homes and they were welcomed by muslims here. The bond between us was becoming stronger, my grandfather saw his KP friend after so many years and they hugged for 10 minutes and kept crying. These terrorists won't let anyone live happily. But there are 10 lakh forces here, what were they doing? They failed to do their duty. They should be questioned. It is so sad that hardwork done all these years has been undone by this.
Click to expand...
No work is undone. Kashmirs beauty is too much to be ignored. Of course tourism will take a big hit but i hope the Govt and forces continue to do what they have been doing till now. There should be no compromise regarding security. If we could maintain peace and develop good infrastructure there, Kashmir could be more beautiful than Switzerland. Tourists will come in flocks, more money and that will help the locals too. But first and foremost we need to sought out this security mess now…
 
Makes you wonder if India has any control over IOK.

Like you remove the special status, and than a few terrorist enter a spot kill a few people and go scott free.

Like for once instead of crying about Pakistan, look at your own internal failure
 
kaayal said:
No work is undone. Kashmirs beauty is too much to be ignored. Of course tourism will take a big hit but i hope the Govt and forces continue to do what they have been doing till now. There should be no compromise regarding security. If we could maintain peace and develop good infrastructure there, Kashmir could be more beautiful than Switzerland. Tourists will come in flocks, more money and that will help the locals too. But first and foremost we need to sought out this security mess now…
Click to expand...
There were 2000 tourists on this spot but not a single army / police person. That is shocking and complacent from security agencies.
 
To all those behind this cowardly act & their sympathisers, know this that you’ve already lost without our govt or armed forces even blinking an eye.

You tried to break our spirit but you ended up uniting a nation that doesn’t forget or spare its enemies. You all hoped to provoke a reckless response, but what you’ll get is something far more formidable, justice shaped by purpose.

Gone are the days when your lies about Kashmir prompted a woke human rights debate. The world has seen through your deceit, your malice and your darkness. Nations far and wide have condemned your act as a cowardly heinous crime against humanity

And to you and your handlers: understand this truth, you have roused a civilization that has stood tall through millennia. We are a people of sages and warriors, forged in fire, guided by dharma. We do not forget. We do not fear. When our enemies were at the height of their powers, at the height of their wealth, we still broke their back in half you can’t defeat us. We are inevitable. The oldest living civilization for a reason.

Don’t you think cowardly killing 27 people changes anything. We will find all of you dirty little rats from the sewers where you are hiding and when we have gotten rid of your infestation we will burn the place down. Your end is inevitable.
 
Terrorism has no religion..lol

Kanpur resident Shubham Dwivedi, 28, and his wife were among the tourists present. According to Tiwari's family, the terrorists asked if the couple were Muslim and demanded they recite the Kalma, an Islamic declaration of faith.

Speaking to AajTak/India Today, Shubham’s cousin said, "Bhaiya and bhabhi were eating Maggi, when two people in uniform came to them, and asked are you Muslim, if yes, then recite the Kalma.”

When they did not give a satisfactory answer, the gunmen shot Shubham, his cousin recounted. “They shot bhaiya in the head, and then pointed the gun at bhabhi and said ‘tell your government what we have done’.”

Shubham had been married for just two months.

whatsapp_image_2025-04-23_at_13.34.56.jpeg


https://www.indiatoday.in/india/sto...ma-send-government-message-2713318-2025-04-23
 

Hindus were singled out, shot: Tourist's blow-by-blow account of Pahalgam attack​

"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 said, adding that the assailants claimed their religion was "in danger" because of the Hindus.

She further compared the method of the assault to the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack. "The terrorists attacked only the men. It was very similar to what happened during the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. They were wearing uniforms like those of local police and had printed masks that resembled what army personnel wear," she added.

https://www.indiatoday.in/india/sto...mir-ordeal-security-forces-2713085-2025-04-22
 
m.shah said:
There were 2000 tourists on this spot but not a single army / police person. That is shocking and complacent from security agencies.
Click to expand...
Terrible intelligence failure and security. Considering the history of this place with terrorist attacks, the authorities should have been more prepared. It’s not like any other normal tourist place in India..
 
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