Over 26, including tourists, killed; several injured

Srinagar: Candlelight marches were held at several places in Kashmir following the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people, including a Navy officer and a Malayali tourist, were killed and several others injured.

The act of terrorism in Pahalgam is seen as the deadliest strike on Kashmir since the 2019 Pulwama attack, where 47 CRPF personnel were killed. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the attack was “larger than anything we’ve seen directed at civilians in recent years”.

Around 3 pm on Tuesday, the unidentified gunmen opened fire on tourists in the popular Baisaran meadow, also known as 'mini Switzerland'. When the gunmen struck, the area was bustling with tourists enjoying pony rides, picnics and food stalls.

Eyewitness accounts described chaos as gunfire erupted across the meadow. “My husband was shot in the head. Seven others were injured,” said a survivor. Visuals from the site showed bodies lying on the grass and women weeping, though those clips could not be officially verified.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the attack, calling it a “heinous act” and vowed justice for the victims. “Those behind this will not be spared. Our fight against terrorism is unshakable,” he posted on X.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who briefed the Prime Minister currently on a Saudi Arabia visit, flew to Srinagar to review the security situation. “We will come down heavily on the perpetrators with the harshest consequences,” Shah said.

Meanwhile, in a statement, the Army's Chinar Corps called the attack “a cowardly and heart-wrenching act of violence”. “In the immediate aftermath, Joint Forces are overseeing the situation. Medical teams were swiftly mobilised and casualty evacuation commenced," the Chinar Corps said in a post on X.

Choppers were deployed to evacuate the injured, while some victims were brought down from the meadow on ponies by locals. A doctor at the Pahalgam hospital confirmed that 12 injured tourists were admitted and all were stable.

The attack comes at a time when Kashmir is witnessing a surge in tourism after years of insurgency. It also raises fresh security concerns ahead of the annual 38-day Amarnath Yatra, set to begin on July 3. The pilgrimage sees lakhs of devotees travelling to the Himalayan shrine via the Pahalgam and Baltal routes.