Indian authorities have launched a large-scale manhunt after at least 26 people were killed in a mass shooting in the tourist town of Pahalgam, in what officials have described as the deadliest civilian attack in Jammu and Kashmir in over two decades.
Gunmen, reportedly emerging from nearby forests, opened fire on a group of tourists on Tuesday afternoon, spraying the area with automatic gunfire.
The attack occurred about 90 kilometers from Srinagar, a region promoted in recent years as a peaceful tourist destination, according to a report by Agence France-Presse (AFP).
“This attack on our visitors is an abomination,” said Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in a statement. “The perpetrators of this attack are animals, inhuman and worthy of contempt.”
No group has claimed responsibility for the assault. Armed insurgents have waged a separatist rebellion in the Muslim-majority region since 1989, seeking either independence or a merger with Pakistan. Both India and Pakistan claim the territory in full.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned what he called a “heinous act” and cut short a state visit to Saudi Arabia to return to India, where he met with top security officials. “The attackers will be brought to justice,” he said.
Modi added, “Their evil agenda will never succeed. Our resolve to fight terrorism is unshakable and it will get even stronger.”
A tour guide named Waheed told AFP he helped transport the wounded on horseback. “I saw several men lying dead on the ground,” he said. Another witness, who requested anonymity, said the attackers appeared to deliberately spare women.
Survivors recounted that the gunmen, some wearing uniforms, instructed men to recite Islamic prayers before opening fire again. “They were there at least for 20 minutes, undeterred, moving around and opening fire,” one survivor told The Indian Express. “It seemed like an eternity.”
Among the dead was an Indian Navy officer on holiday with his newlywed wife.
The Indian army’s Chinar Corps said in a statement that “the search operation is currently in progress, with all efforts focused on bringing the attackers to justice.”
The killings triggered global condemnation. US President Donald Trump offered “full support to India to bring to justice the perpetrators of this heinous attack,” while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said “Europe will stand with you.”
Tuesday’s massacre marks the most fatal civilian attack in the region since 36 people were killed in March 2000. It also echoes the 2019 Pulwama bombing, in which 40 Indian paramilitary personnel were killed in a suicide attack.
India has long accused Pakistan of backing militant groups involved in such attacks. Islamabad denies the charges, saying it supports Kashmiris’ right to self-determination.
Over 3.5 million tourists visited Kashmir in 2024, most of them domestic. Despite increased military presence — estimated at 500,000 troops — and the revocation of Kashmir’s semi-autonomy in 2019, violence continues to plague the region.
