At least 26 people lost their lives, and many others were injured when terrorists opened fire on tourists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on Tuesday afternoon. The attackers, believed to be part of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) group, carried out the attack in Baisaran Valley, a popular tourist destination. On Wednesday, security agencies released sketches of the four terrorists involved.
What happened in the Pahalgam attack?
The attack took place around 2:30 PM on Tuesday. Tourists were enjoying the scenic beauty of Baisaran Valley when suddenly, gunshots were heard. Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos, with people running for cover. But the valley was too open, and many couldn’t escape the bullets.
Among the 26 people killed in the Pahalgam terror attack were an Indian Air Force (IAF) officer, a Navy officer who had just gotten married a week ago, and an Intelligence Bureau (IB) official who was shot dead in front of his family. Two foreigners – one from the UAE and another from Nepal – also lost their lives. Soon after the attack, a terror group named The Resistance Front (TRF), which is linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility for the killings.
Officials have identified three of the attackers as Asif Fauji, Suleman Shah, and Abu Talha and said that two of them are likely foreigners. Horrifying videos from the scene show the pain of the victims. In one video, a newly married woman is seen sitting next to her husband’s body. In another clip, a woman whose husband was killed in front of her was told by one of the terrorists to “go tell Modi”.
What is the government doing now?
Security agencies have started a big search operation to catch the terrorists responsible for the Pahalgam attack. The Indian Army, CRPF, and Jammu and Kashmir Police have surrounded the area to stop the terrorists from escaping. Military helicopters are also being used to watch the area from the sky and to help take the injured people to hospitals. Officials believe that the terrorists were hiding in this area for the past month.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi came back to India from his visit to Saudi Arabia. As soon as he arrived in Delhi, he held an important meeting at the airport with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to discuss the situation and plan the next steps.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah also visited the attack site. He flew to Baisaran Valley in a helicopter, met the victims’ families, and paid his respects to the dead. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chaired a key security meeting with the chiefs of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, along with the NSA.
At 6 PM on Wednesday, the Prime Minister will chair a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) to review the situation and India’s response.
National and global reactions after attack
The Pahalgam terror attack has made people across the country very angry and sad. Many well-known celebrities, like lyricist Javed Akhtar, actor Allu Arjun, actress Katrina Kaif, and cricketer Virat Kohli, shared their sorrow on social media and asked the government to give justice to the victims.
To help the tourists who are stuck in Jammu and Kashmir after the attack, airlines such as Air India and IndiGo are running extra flights to and from Srinagar. These airlines have also removed the fees for cancelling or changing flight bookings.
Leaders from around the world have also reacted. US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni strongly condemned the attack and said they stand with India during this difficult time.
Meanwhile, Pakistan, in its first response, said it has “got nothing to do” with the attack and “rejects terrorism in all its forms”.
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