Srinagar: At least 28 tourists were killed and many others injured when terrorists opened fire on a scenic meadow near the resort town of Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday. It was the deadliest attack since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
Resistance Front, an affiliate of the ISI-backed LeT, has claimed responsibility for the attack.
The attack coincided with US Vice President JD Vance's four-day visit to India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's arrival in Saudi Arabia to strengthen bilateral ties with the influential Islamic country. It also came after a belligerent speech by Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir, the militants' main base.
It was the deadliest attack on tourists since militancy began in Kashmir in the 1990s. It brought back memories of the massacre in Chittisingpora in Anantnag district in March 2000, where 36 members of the Sikh community were killed, days before US President Bill Clinton's visit to India.
This coordination was in line with Pakistan’s efforts to ensure international intervention in Jammu and Kashmir, which has triggered a potential nuclear conflict between the two neighbours.
By targeting tourists from various places, their diabolical intentions and possibly attempts to create communal unrest across the country have been proven. Jihadis have recently refrained from attacking tourists carrying valuables in the Union Territory.
Survivors said the terrorists, who numbered about six and were dressed in army uniforms, believed to be foreigners, identified their victims based on their religion, asked them to say their names and recite Islamic verses, and opened fire at close range.
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