Srinagar: A tourist was killed and 12 other persons, including tourists & locals, were injured in a terror attack in Pahalgam hill station in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Tuesday, officials said.
The tourist was killed, and nine other tourists and three locals were injured, when terrorists attacked a group of tourists in the Baisran area of Pahalgam hill station.
As per reports, 2 to 3 terrorists wearing army fatigues came and fired at horse-riding tourists in the Baisran area around 2.30 p.m. Baisran is a small meadow 3 to 4 km from the Pahalgam market, and tourists take horses to reach the place as there is no motorable road to it.
“One tourist was killed in this attack, and 12 others, including tourists and locals, were injured. The injured have been shifted to Pahalgam hospital, from where three injured with critical injuries were shifted to Srinagar for specialised treatment,” an official said, adding that the area has been cordoned off by the security forces to trace the assailants.
“I’m shocked beyond belief. 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. I’ve spoken to my colleague @sakinaitoo & she has moved to the hospital to oversee arrangements for the injured. I’ll be flying back to Srinagar immediately. #Pahalgam”, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said in a post on X.
“I strongly condemn the cowardly attack on tourists in Pahalgam, which tragically killed five and injured several as being reported for now. Such violence is unacceptable and must be denounced. Historically, Kashmir has welcomed tourists warmly, making this rare incident deeply concerning. A thorough investigation is needed to bring the perpetrators to justice and examine potential security lapses. Ensuring visitor safety is paramount, and steps must be taken to prevent future attacks. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families”, PDP President and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said on X.
This is the first terrorist attack on tourists in the Kashmir Valley in 2025, even as a booming tourist season is presently going on in the Valley.
All hotels in Srinagar city, and the tourist resorts of Pahalgam, Gulmarg and Sonamarg are fully occupied.
An unprecedented number of tourists are expected in J&K this year and official projections forecast a number of around two crores tourists would visit the UT this year.
Tuesday’s attack comes at a time when registration for this year’s Amarnath Yatra is going on across the country.
This year, the Yatra will commence on July 3 and conclude on August 9, coinciding with the Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan festivals, respectively.
During his visit to J&K last month, Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a high-level security review meeting, where he gave orders for the complete eradication of terrorism with special focus on the Jammu division.
He also gave directions to ensure zero tolerance to infiltration. The Union Home Secretary, the IB Director, the Army chief, the GoCs of all corps in J&K, the chiefs of paramilitary forces, the J&K DGP and intelligence officers attended the meeting.
Lt Governor Manoj Sinha has been emphasising that the entire ecosystem of terrorism, including the terrorists, their overground workers (OGWs), and sympathisers, has to be tackled to completely rid J&K of the scourge of terrorism.
(IANS)
