Srinagar, Apr 22: Kashmir bled again on Tuesday as terrorists shot dead 27 civilians, mostly tourists, at the famous health resort of Pahalgam in South Kashmir.
Sources told KNO that terrorists opened fire at civilians at a famed meadow Baisaran killing at least 27 of them. The attack is the deadliest in Kashmir since the Pulwama strike in 2019.
They said that the exact number of casualties is being ascertained and the toll may go up. The attack came up at a time when US Vice President J D Vance is visiting India and just as the tourist and trekking season is picking up momentum.
Baisaran, about 6 kilometres from Pahalgam, is an expansive meadow dubbed ‘mini Switzerland’ ringed by dense pine forests and mountains and a favourite with visitors from across the country and the world.
Witnesses said that the terrorists appeared in the meadow around 3 pm and resorted to indiscriminate firing at civilians milling around eateries, taking pony rides or just picnicking.
Videos which went viral on social media painted a chilling picture of gunfire breaking the calm of a regular afternoon with scores of people enjoying their day out. Cries for help were heard as lifeless bodies lay motionless in pools of blood.
With Baisaran accessible only by foot or horses, choppers were deployed to evacuate the injured. The families of those killed and injured were taken to the government-owned Pahalgam Club under tight security.
The entire district administration and police force was mobilised and ambulances pressed into service.
Some of the injured were brought down from the meadow by local people on their ponies.
Army, CRPF and local police rushed to Baisaran after news came in of gunshots being heard, officials said.
A massive anti-terrorist operation has been launched to hunt down the assailants and security forces have fanned out in all directions, they said.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration set up 24X7 emergency control rooms in Anantnag and Srinagar.
It may be recalled that on February 14, 2019, 40 CRPF personnel were killed in a suicide attack in south Kashmir’s Pulwama area. Since then, there have been other terror attacks but none as serious. More than 30 people were killed in an attack on Amarnath base camp in Pahalgam in 2000.
A year later, 13 people died in a strike on Amarnath pilgrims at Sheshnag while 11 persons were killed in another attack in 2002 in the Pahalgam area.
A tourist couple from Rajasthan was injured in a firing incident by terrorists at Yannar in Pahalgam in May last year. In March 2000 when then US president Bill Clinton was visiting India, terrorists killed 35 Sikhs in Chhattisinghpora in south Kashmir in March 2000.
Baisaran, a campsite for trekkers who then move further up to the Tulian lake, is accessible from Pahalgam either on foot or on horses. It offers a panoramic view of Pahalgam town and the Lidder valley.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Srinagar to review the security situation.
Officials said the Home Minister was received by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, his advisor Nasir Aslam Wani, Director General of Police (DGP) Nalin Prabhat and others at the airport.
Sources said that the Chief Minister briefed the Union Home Minister about the Pahalgam attack at the airport itself.
Shah drove straight to the Raj Bhavan where he will chair a high level security meet.
The security review meeting, sources said, will be attended by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Secretary, Atal Duloo, Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat, Director IB, ADGP CID, IGP CRPF, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Srinagar based Chinar corps and other top officials.
The Union Home Minister will visit the terror attack site at Baisaran in Pahalgam on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General Suchendra Kumar also arrived in Srinagar to review security situation, defence sources said.
They said the Army Commander will be briefed by local formation commanders on the present security situation in Kashmir. He was in New Delhi for a security conference.
Pertinently, earlier in the day terrorists opened fire at Baisaran famed meadow near Pahalgam town this afternoon.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah described the terror attack as “much larger than anything we’ve seen directed at civilians in recent years”—
