Pahalgam Terror Attack: 26 Lives Lost in Kashmir
On April 22, 2025, a terror attack left 25 Indian tourists and one Nepali national dead in the picturesque Baisaran meadow of Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. The assault, one of the worst in recent times in the region on non-combatants, was waged against a tour group in a religiously motivated massacre, as described by authorities. At least 16 were hurt, and the assault raised tensions between Pakistan and India.
The militants, claiming to belong to an obscure group, Kashmir Resistance, shot at tourists indiscriminately for not being able to recite Islamic prayers, reports went on. The victims were claimed by the militants to be members of Indian security forces, which Indian authorities dismissed. They included Lieutenant Vinay Narwal and his wife, Himanshi, from Haryana, and a few from Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Karnataka. One of the pony guides, Syed Adil Hussain Shah, himself a resident, was also killed in the attempt to rescue tourists.
Indian security personnel conducted a massive manhunt, demolishing the homes of two alleged local attackers who belonged to The Resistance Front, a breakaway faction of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba. India blamed Pakistan for having sponsored the attack, crediting “cross-border linkages” for it, although Pakistan has refuted any involvement and demanded an impartial international probe. India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, shut down the Attari border, and cancelled visas for Pakistani nationals, spiralling diplomatic tensions.
The attack has met with widespread anger and sorrow. Protests occurred in Jammu, London, and Kathmandu, and the local population and Indian expats demanded justice. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah called the tourist flight from the state “heartbreaking,” and Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised to hunt down the attackers relentlessly. The UN Security Council denounced the attack, calling for the perpetrators to be held accountable.
This tragedy, in peak tourist season, has marred Kashmir’s tourism boom, which has received 3.5 million tourists in 2024. With the security increasing further, the region is preparing for hard times.
