In a brutal terror attack in the Baisaran Valley of Pahalgam yesterday, 26 people were killed, including a Navy officer and an Intelligence Bureau official. Several others were injured as terrorists opened fire on unarmed tourists. Witnesses reported militants emerging from the woods and shooting indiscriminately. Evacuations were conducted via military helicopters due to the region’s inaccessibility.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi cut short his Saudi Arabia trip and returned to Delhi, condemning the attack as a “cowardly act” and reaffirming India’s unshakable resolve against terrorism. Union Home Minister Amit Shah reached Srinagar and chaired a high-level security review. An anti-terror operation is underway.
Victims include tourists from Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Odisha. Global leaders, including Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and Giorgia Meloni, extended solidarity with India. This attack, the deadliest since Pulwama in 2019, comes during peak tourist season and days ahead of the Amarnath Yatra, casting a shadow over Jammu and Kashmir’s tourism revival.
