23/04/2025
๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐น๐ ๐ง๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ต๐ฎ๐น๐ด๐ฎ๐บ ๐๐น๐ฎ๐ถ๐บ๐ ๐ฎ๐ด ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐, ๐๐ป๐ท๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น ๐ง๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐๐
๐๐โ๐๐๐๐๐, ๐ฝ๐๐๐๐ข ๐๐๐ ๐พ๐๐ โ๐๐๐ โ ๐ด๐๐๐๐ 22, 2025
On April 22, 2025, a devastating terrorist attack unfolded in the Baisaran meadow near Pahalgam, a renowned tourist destination in Jammu and Kashmir, India. This brutal assault resulted in the deaths of at least 28 individuals and left over 20 others injured, marking one of the deadliest civilian attacks in the region in recent years.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ
Around 2:50 PM IST, four to six militants, reportedly affiliated with The Resistance Front (TRF)โan offshoot of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taibaโemerged from nearby forests and opened fire on a group of tourists. Eyewitnesses recounted that the assailants, dressed in military-style uniforms, initially posed as security personnel, asking for names and demanding that victims recite the kalma. Those who failed were reportedly shot, suggesting a deliberate targeting based on religious identity.
๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ฎ๐น๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐
The attack claimed the lives of 28 individuals, including 24 Indian tourists from various states, two local residents from Jammu and Kashmir, and two foreign nationals from Nepal and the United Arab Emirates. Among the deceased were a 26-year-old Indian Navy officer and an Intelligence Bureau official. At least 20 others sustained injuries, some critically, with airlifting required due to the terrain.
๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ
The Resistance Front claimed responsibility for the attack, citing opposition to the settlement of over 85,000 outsiders in the region, which they argue is altering its demographic makeup. This incident underscores the ongoing tensions in Kashmir, long disputed by India and Pakistan, and highlights the continuing threat of insurgency despite a decline in violence after the 2019 revocation of the region's special status.
๐๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ฝ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ
Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly condemned the attack and cut short his visit to Saudi Arabia to return and address the crisis. Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited Srinagar to oversee the situation. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also curtailed her international engagements in response.
International reactions were swift. U.S. President Donald Trump stated that the United States "stands strong with India" against terrorism. Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the incident as a "brutal crime with no justification." Leaders from Italy, Israel, and the UAE also expressed solidarity and offered condolences.
Security forces launched a manhunt to apprehend the attackers. A helpline was established to assist affected tourists and their families. The incident sparked widespread panic among visitors in the Valley, leading to a rush in outbound travel from Srinagar. Local organizations called for a shutdown in protest of the killings.
This horrific event has deeply shaken the region and the nation. Authorities have heightened security measures, and the investigation continues.