Echoes of Gunfire in the Valley: Kashmir’s Deadliest Civilian Attack in Years

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On April 22, 2025, a devastating terrorist attack occurred in the Baisaran meadow near Pahalgam, Anantnag district, Jammu and Kashmir. Militants affiliated with The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba, opened fire on a group of tourists, resulting in the deaths of at least 28 individuals and injuring over 20 others .​

Details 
Time & Location: Around 2:50 PM IST at Baisaran meadow, a popular tourist spot accessible by foot or pony.
Perpetrators: Four to six gunmen in military-style uniforms emerged from nearby forests and began shooting indiscriminately. 

Victims: The attack primarily targeted non-Muslim tourists. Reports indicate that the assailants asked victims to recite Islamic verses and checked for circumcision to identify and spare Muslims .
Casualties
Fatalities: 28 people, including 24 Indian tourists from various states, two locals from Jammu and Kashmir, and two foreign nationals from Nepal and the United Arab Emirates. Injuries: Over 20 individuals sustained injuries. 
Notable Victims: Among the deceased were a 26-year-old Indian Navy officer and an Intelligence Bureau official .​

Motive 
The TRF claimed responsibility, stating the attack was in retaliation against the alleged demographic changes in the Kashmir Valley due to the settlement of over 85,000 "outsiders" following the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status in 2019 .​

Government Response 
Prime Minister Narendra Modi: Condemned the attack, cut short his visit to Saudi Arabia, and vowed that those responsible would be brought to justice . 
Home Minister Amit Shah: Visited Srinagar to assess the situation and coordinate the security response .
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman: Cut short her official visit to the United States and Peru to return to India . 

Security Measures: A joint operation by local police and the Indian Army was launched to apprehend the perpetrators. Helicopters were deployed, and a temporary lockdown was imposed in parts of Pahalgam .​

The attack drew widespread condemnation:
​ United Nations: Secretary-General António Guterres strongly condemned the attack, emphasizing that attacks against civilians are unacceptable under any circumstances . 
Israel: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed deep sorrow and stated that Israel stands in solidarity with India in the fight against terrorism . 
Other Nations: Leaders from the United States, Russia, France, Germany, and the European Union also condemned the attack and expressed condolences to the victims' families .

Survivor Accounts Survivors recounted harrowing experiences, with reports indicating that the attackers spared some individuals to "narrate the horrors" to Indian authorities. One survivor from Karnataka recalled that after her husband was killed, the assailants told her to "Go tell this to Modi" .​ This incident marks one of the deadliest attacks on civilians in Jammu and Kashmir in recent years, highlighting the persistent challenges in ensuring security in the region.

​ For more detailed information, you can refer to the following sources: 

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