India: Terrorist attack leaves at least 26 dead in Kashmir

A devastating terrorist attack left at least 26 dead this Tuesday in the Baisaran Valley, near the tourist resort town of Pahalgam, in the Jammu and Kashmir region of northern India. According to local media reports, the deceased are mostly Indian tourists who were visiting this area.

Pahalgam attracts hundreds of visitors daily, including Hindu pilgrims on their way to the holy Amarnath cave. Indian media reported that a group of gunmen opened fire on the tourists, shooting indiscriminately in some cases, while survivors claimed that the attackers asked their victims about their religion before firing.

Indian security forces deployed reinforcements and blocked off the area, initiating an intensive search for the perpetrators, who apparently camouflaged themselves to carry out the attack. So far, no arrests have been reported, and no group has claimed responsibility, as reported by the EFE agency.

Context of the violence in Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir, a Muslim-majority region in the Himalayas, has been a disputed territory between India and Pakistan since 1947. Both nuclear powers control parts of the area, but claim the whole of it, which has triggered armed conflicts and ongoing tensions. Since 1989, India has faced an Islamist insurgency in its part of Kashmir, which has left tens of thousands dead. New Delhi accuses Islamabad of funding the armed groups, an accusation the Pakistanis reject.

Pahalgam, with its idyllic setting, had experienced relative calm in recent years, with a decline in attacks and an increase in tourism.

This attack, at the height of the tourist season, seems designed to sow fear and destabilize the region.

Although attacks on tourists had become unusual, Kashmir is no stranger to violence. In June 2024, an attack on a bus of Hindu pilgrims left nine dead and 33 injured after causing the vehicle to fall into a ravine.

Condemnation from the authorities

The chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah, condemned the attack. On his social network account on X he expressed, "I’m shocked beyond belief. This attack on our visitors is an abomination. The perpetrators of this attack are animals, inhuman & worthy of contempt. No words of condemnation are enough. I send my sympathies to the families of the deceased."

At the international level, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who interrupted his visit to Saudi Arabia to return to New Delhi, sent his condolences to the families of those killed and condemned the attack. "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 on X.