SRINAGAR: Several people were feared dead as gunmen in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) opened fire on tourists on Tuesday — the worst attack on civilians in the disputed Himalayan region in years.
The attack occurred in Pahalgam, a popular destination in the scenic, mountainous region.
One security source put the death toll at 20, while the second put it at 24 and the third at 26. All three spoke on the condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media.
“The firing happened in front of us,” one witness told broadcaster India Today, without giving his name. “We thought someone was setting off firecrackers, but when we heard other people (screaming), we quickly got out of there…, saved our lives and ran.”
“For four kilometers, we did not stop … I am shaking,” another witness told India Today.
The attack took place in an off-the-road meadow, and two or three gunmen were involved, the Indian Express newspaper reported, citing an unidentified senior police officer.
“The death toll is still being ascertained so I don’t want to get into those details,” IIOJK Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said in a post on X. “Needless to say, this attack is much larger than anything we’ve seen directed at civilians in recent years.”
The nationalities of the victims were not immediately known.
The regional government of IIOJK, where Pahalgam is located, told its legislature this month that nearly 84,000 non-locals, from within India, had been given domicile rights in the territory in the last two years.
India revoked IIOJK’s special status in 2019, splitting the state into two federally administered territories. The move also allowed local authorities to issue domicile rights to outsiders, allowing them to get jobs and buy land in the territory.
Attacks targeting tourists in IIOJK have become rare. The last deadly incident took place in June 2024 when at least nine people were killed and 33 injured after an attack caused a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims to plunge into a deep gorge.
Tuesday’s attack came a day after US Vice President JD Vance began a four-day, largely personal visit to India.
‘False flag drama’
Commenting on the attack, former foreign secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani highlighted the Indian tradition of creating a “false flag drama”, saying that Indian media’s propaganda against Pakistan is fabricated and false
“India wants to divert attention from the security situation in IIOJK,” he said while speaking to Geo News.
He said India hurled accusations at Pakistan without offering any evidence whenever any incident takes place.
“Indian agencies are involved in various terrorist incidents in Pakistan, Canada and other countries,” the former top diplomat said.
Recalling the past incident, Jillani said more than 30 Sikhs were killed in IIOJK and that too was blamed on Pakistan by India.
Later, investigation proved that the Chittisinghpura incident in 2000 was carried out by Indian intelligence agencies, he added.
He also called for the need to convince the international community that India has made it a habit to blame Pakistan for its domestic problems.