A nice stroll across Pahalgam, a scenic tourist spot in Jammu and Kashmir, turned horrific when armed terrorists opened fire at civilians who were riding on ponies and enjoying their vacation. At 26 people lost their lives in the terror attack. This attack is said to be the worst since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
Here’s all the details about the Pahalgam terror attack you need to know:
1. The Pahalgam terror attack reportedly took place around 2.30 pm or 3 pm on Tuesday. Police sources told News 18 that “terrorists emerged from the dense pine forest surrounding the valley and started firing at a group of 40 tourists.”
2. Eyewitnesses were quoted as saying that two to three gunmen in military fatigues started firing indiscriminately. Another witness told news agency ANI, “…We could hear the sound of firing for a long time. Everyone was trying to escape from the place. We never looked back as we just wanted to escape from there.”
3. Some eyewitnesses also claimed that the terrorists asked victims about their religion before killing them. According to News8, witnesses told security forces that terrorists singled out tourists of a certain faith, asked men to recite ‘Kalima’ — a formal declaration of faith — and shot them dead.
4. Following the deadly attack, a video emerged on social media showing the wife of many officer Vinay Narwal, Himanshi, saying, “I was eating bhel puri with my husband when a man came and said he’s not Muslim, then shot him.” Vinay was a native of Haryana and was posted in Kochi. He had got married on April 16, the just days before the terror attack occurred.
An image of Himanshi sitting alongside the motionless body of Vinay Narwal has become the face of the Pahalgam tragedy.
5. Officials said 22 of the 26 victims have been identified. Among the dead were tourists from several states, including Karnataka, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. At least one person from Gujarat, three from Tamil Nadu and two from Maharashtra were among the injured, PTI reported.
Who are the terrorists?
6. The Resistance Front has claimed responsibility for Tuesday’s attack. The TRF is believed to be a front for Lashkar-e-Taiba. As per News18, initial probe revealed that two terrorists were identified from a video grab. Agencies suspect the two are Kashmiris who had exfiltrated to Pakistan for training, the report added.
7. Many on social media shared a picture, claiming that it shows one of the terrorists who opened fire at tourists on Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir police released a set sketches of the terrorists who were involved in the Pahalgam attacks that killed 26 people. The sketches were made based on eyewitness accounts, police said.
8. A preliminary investigation showed that terrorists involved in the attack in Pahalgam were equipped with helmet-mounted cameras and captured the entire sequence of events, News 18 reported.
9. It reportedly revealed that three terrorists gathered the deceased together, segregating them into male and female groups before confirming their identities. Some victims were shot from a distance using sniper-like tactics, while many others succumbed to blood loss, the report added.
10. News 18 reported that the crime scene was chosen to ensure delayed rescue efforts, thereby maximizing casualties, investigation showed.
What did the terrorists say?
A little-known militant group, the “Kashmir Resistance,” or the “Resistance Front” claimed responsibility for the attack in a social media message.
The group expressed discontent that more than 85,000 “outsiders” had been settled in the region, spurring a “demographic change”.
In a fresh statement on Wednesday, the group was quoted by Reuters as saying that the “individuals targeted were not ordinary tourists; instead, they were linked to and affiliated with Indian security agencies”.
“It was not a typical tourist group but rather an undercover agency tasked with research,” it said and added that the attack should “serve as a wake-up call not only for Delhi but also for those who support Delhi’s questionable strategies”.
(With inputs from agencies)
About The Author
