A deadly attack targeting tourists in India’s Jammu and Kashmir territory has left at least 20 feared dead, marking the deadliest incident against civilians in the region for years, according to security sources.
At least 20 people were feared killed after suspected militants opened fire on tourists in India’s Jammu and Kashmir territory on Tuesday, according to three security sources, in what is believed to be the worst civilian attack in the troubled Himalayan region in years.
The incident took place in Pahalgam, a popular mountainous destination where tourism has flourished in recent years amid a decline in militant violence. One security source put the death toll at 20, another at 24, and a third at 26. All three spoke on condition of anonymity, lacking official authorisation to brief the media.
Witnesses described scenes of panic as gunfire erupted. “The firing happened in front of us,” one person told India Today, adding, “We thought it was firecrackers, but then we heard people screaming. We ran for four kilometres without stopping.”
According to reports in the Indian Express, the attack was carried out in a meadow off the main road by two or three militants. The identities of the attackers remain unconfirmed, while the nationalities of the victims have yet to be disclosed.
A little-known group calling itself the "Kashmir Resistance" claimed responsibility for the assault in a social media post, linking the attack to concerns over demographic changes in the region following recent domicile grants to non-locals. Reuters has not independently verified the message.
Jammu and Kashmir’s Chief Minister Omar Abdullah acknowledged the severity of the incident, stating on social media platform X, “This attack is much larger than anything we’ve seen directed at civilians in recent years.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the attack, vowing justice for the victims. “Their evil agenda will never succeed,” he posted on X. Home Minister Amit Shah announced his immediate departure for Kashmir to oversee a security review.
The region has experienced decades of conflict since the outbreak of an anti-India insurgency in 1989, with violence declining notably in recent years. India revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in 2019, dividing it into two federally administered territories and granting domicile rights to thousands of outsiders, a move that sparked political tensions and drew criticism from Pakistan.
Attacks on tourists in the area have become rare. The last major incident occurred in June 2024, when a militant assault led to the deaths of nine Hindu pilgrims and injuries to 33 others after their bus plunged into a gorge.
The latest violence comes a day after U.S. Vice President JD Vance began a four-day personal visit to India, though no official connection between the visit and the attack has been suggested.
The death toll from floods and landslides following cyclonic rains in the Indonesian island of Sumatra has risen to 303, the head of the country's dis...
Hong Kong on Saturday mourned the 128 people known to have died in a massive fire at a high-rise apartment complex, a toll that is likely to rise with...
The global recall of Airbus A320 aircraft has triggered widespread disruption across several major airlines, forcing flight cancellations in the Unite...
U.S. investigators have recovered the black box recorders from the wreckage of a UPS cargo plane that crashed in flames on takeoff in Louisville, Kent...
Pope Leo visited Istanbul’s Blue Mosque on Saturday, stepping inside one of the most iconic sites of the Muslim world. He removed his shoes at the e...
At least nine people were killed and nearly thirty others injured after confiscated explosives accidentally detonated inside a police station in Nowgam, in Indian-administered Kashmir.
Gunfire broke out during a peace rally in Muzaffarabad, Pakistan-administered Kashmir, on Monday, leaving at least one person dead and more than two dozen wounded, officials said. Some of the injured were in critical condition at local hospitals.
Widespread flooding has hit several parts of northern India, officials said, with more thunderstorms forecast for Wednesday as local media reported that 10,000 people were evacuated from the river banks in capital Delhi.
A deadly landslide triggered by heavy rain struck a major Hindu pilgrimage route in Jammu, killing at least 30 people and disrupting communication across the region.
At least 47 people have died and another 21 are reported missing following ten days of heavy rainfall, floods, and landslides across Sri Lanka, local media reported on Thursday (27 November).
Hong Kong fire authorities said they expected to wrap up search and rescue operations on Friday after the city's worst fire in nearly 80 years tore through a massive apartment complex, killing at least 128 people, injuring 79 and leaving around 200 still missing.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth visited sailors aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier in the Latin American region on Thursday, amid a military buildup by President Donald Trump’s administration that has heightened tensions with Venezuela.
Rescuers in Sri Lanka are racing against rising floodwaters and treacherous terrain today after a powerful storm system slammed into the island nation, killing at least 46 people and displacing tens of thousands in a disaster that threatens to strain the country’s resources.
The Spanish agricultural sector has been placed on high alert following the confirmation that African Swine Fever (ASF) has resurfaced in the country for the first time in over thirty years.
The death toll from floods and landslides following cyclonic rains in the Indonesian island of Sumatra has risen to 303, the head of the country's disaster mitigation agency said on Saturday, up from a previous figure of 174.
Hong Kong on Saturday mourned the 128 people known to have died in a massive fire at a high-rise apartment complex, a toll that is likely to rise with 150 still missing days after the disaster.
The global recall of Airbus A320 aircraft has triggered widespread disruption across several major airlines, forcing flight cancellations in the United States, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
Pope Leo visited Istanbul’s Blue Mosque on Saturday, stepping inside one of the most iconic sites of the Muslim world. He removed his shoes at the entrance in a gesture of respect. He did not appear to pray.
Russian drones and missiles struck several districts of Kyiv early on Saturday, killing one person and injuring more than a dozen. Fires swept through residential blocks as debris rained over the city.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment