26 tourists and possibly including two foreign nationals killed after terrorists opened fire on trekkers at Pahalgam in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir : Amit Shah leaves for spot

Lashkar offshoot The Resistance Front claims responsibility for terror attack

At least 26 tourists and possibly including two foreign nationals were feared killed on Tuesday after terrorists attacked a group of tourists visiting Pahalgam in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir.

"Those behind this heinous act will be brought to justice...they will not be spared! Their evil agenda will never succeed," PM Narendra Modi tweeted. 

According to initial inputs, gunmen opened fire on the tourists who had gone for a trekking trip from a close range.  

Home Minister Amit Shah leaves for Srinagar, says terrorists won't be spared. 

According to one survivor, the attackers seemed to be targeting Hindus. 

“Three to four people attacked us. I told them – kill me too, you’ve already killed my husband. One of them said, ‘I won’t kill you. Go tell this to Modi’.”

Reports also claimed that at least 26 people are feared dead in terror attack.

Terrorists, dressed in fatigues, opened fire on tourists in Pahalgam's Baisaran meadow.  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, currently in Saudi Arabia on a two-day visit, was briefed on the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam by Home Minister Amit Shah.  

Paramedics and police personnel carry an injured tourist at a hospital in Anantnag (AFP snap)

The Prime Minister strongly condemned the terror attack and said that the perpetrators would be brought to justice and would not be spared.

In a tweet, Modi extended his condolences to the victim's family and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.  

"I strongly condemn the terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that the injured recover at the earliest. All possible assistance is being provided to those affected," he wrote. 

"Those behind this heinous act will be brought to justice...they will not be spared! Their evil agenda will never succeed. Our resolve to fight terrorism is unshakable and it will get even stronger," he said.  

Modi also spoke to Home Minister Shah over the phone and asked him to take all suitable measures. He also asked him to visit the site of the attack.

The attack occurred around 2.30 pm on Tuesday when a group of terrorists, dressed in fatigues, opened fire on tourists in Pahalgam's Baisaran meadow.  

A man from Shivamogga, Karnataka, was killed in a terror attack while he was vacationing with his family in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on Tuesday. The victim, Manjunath, had travelled to the valley with his wife Pallavi and their young son.

Pallavi recounted the chilling moments of the attack. “Three of us – me, my husband and our son – had gone to Kashmir. It happened around 1.30 pm, I think. We were at Pahalgam. He died on the spot, in front of my eyes,” she said, adding, “It still feels like a bad dream.”

Attacks targeting tourists in Jammu and Kashmir have been rare in recent times.

The last major attack on visitors took place in June 2024 when at least nine people were killed and 33 injured when a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims plunged into a deep gorge after fighters attacked it.

In 2023, India hosted a G20 tourism meeting in Srinagar under tight security in a bid to show that what officials call “normalcy and peace” were returning after a massive crackdown.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin condemned the “barbaric” terror attack in J&K’s Pahalgam that claimed multiple lives. “It deserves the strongest condemnation. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. I am deeply saddened to learn that victims include people from Tamil Nadu,” he said.

Stalin said he directed the Resident Commissioner in Delhi to coordinate with J&K authorities and ensure all necessary assistance to the families of those affected.

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