New Delhi: At least six terrorists singled out Hindu tourists after checking their ID cards, took them hostage and opened indiscriminate fire using AK-47s and M4 carbines in a horrific attack that lasted 30 to 40 minutes in Kashmir’s Pahalgam Tuesday, ThePrint has learnt.
The source confirmed that while some terrorists were in Khaki and “combat attire”, there were some in plain clothes (kurta pajama) as well.
“It is suspected that they came through the Pir Panjal range to reach Baiseran and had sophisticated weapons with them. The eyewitnesses have said that they singled out the Hindus by seeing their ID cards and then opened indiscriminate fire, leaving the women out,” a source said. It is also suspected that the terrorists had taken shelter in South Kashmir’s Tral after infiltrating, the source added.
Sources in the security establishment confirmed that at least 100 cartridges have been recovered from the spot at Baisaran maidan showing the extent of the attack. There was no presence of either police personnel or the Army in the area at that point.
“They were there for 30 to 40 minutes and shot them by singling out people in groups so we believe a lot more rounds were fired,” the source said.
At least 28 people were killed and several others injured in what is turning out to be one of the deadliest attacks in the Kashmir Valley in recent years. The attack at Baisaran Valley—a popular destination where hundreds of tourists visit the meadow on horseback daily—comes at a time when US Vice-President J.D. Vance is in India on a 4-day visit.
A woman tourist made the initial call to the police control room at 2.45 pm, stating that gunshots were heard in Baisaran, it is learnt. A police party was rushed to the spot along with personnel from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Army.
‘Freshly infiltrated’
As reported by ThePrint earlier, among the group of terrorists were two locals from Kashmir who had gone to Pakistan for training in 2017 and infiltrated with the last batch of foreign terrorists, according to sources in the security establishment.
“It is suspected that they infiltrated last year during the election season and were putting up in South Kashmir’s Tral. There are two locals among the group while others are foreign terrorists from Pakistan. It is the work of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT),” the source said.
“We are doing our best to gather intelligence on the attackers. The search for them is on,” the source added.
According to intelligence data available till February 2025 with ThePrint, there are approximately 60 active terrorists in the Valley, of which there are 35 operatives of LeT alone, followed by 21 from Jaish.
This is the worst terrorist attack on civilians in Jammu and Kashmir in decades.
Condemning the attack, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah wrote on X: “This attack on our visitors is an abomination. The perpetrators of this attack are animals, inhuman & worthy of contempt. No words of condemnation are enough. I send my sympathies to the families of the deceased.”
On Tuesday evening, Union Home Minister Amit Shah landed in Srinagar and chaired a review meeting of top security officials. Among those who attended the meeting were Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and CM Omar Abdullah.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
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