During the four-day planned visit of US President JD Vance to India, a tragic incident took place in Kashmir. Suspected militants opened fire in the popular tourist spot of Baisaran Valley (Pahalgam). At least 26 tourists were killed and ten others were injured in the attack.
The majority of those killed were Indians, with two foreign nationals reportedly among those killed. Authorities described the attack as the deadliest on civilians in the region in recent years. The incident occurred at around 30pm local time in the Baisaran Valley, about 15 miles southeast of Kashmir’s main city of Srinagar. A group of gunmen, believed to have approached from nearby mountains, emerged from a dense pine forest and opened fire on the tourists.
“This attack is far greater than anything we have seen against civilians in recent years,” Omar Abdullah, the region’s top official, said on social media. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi cut short a visit to Saudi Arabia to describe the attack as “disgusting.” The UN Secretary-General also condemned the attack, stressing that attacks on civilians are unacceptable under any circumstances.
Indian media reported that a separatist militant group in Kashmir claimed responsibility for the attack. The group, which calls itself the Resistance Front, is said to be an extension of another group that allegedly was behind the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Both groups oppose Indian rule in Kashmir. The tragic incident has once again raised tensions in the region and has had a huge impact internationally.
