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Key Points
- At least 20 people are feared dead after suspected militants opened fire on tourists in Kashmir.
- It is considered the deadliest attack on civilians in the disputed region in recent years.
- The Kashmir Resistance group claimed responsibility, citing the settlement of over 85,000 “outsiders” in the region.
At least 20 people are feared dead after suspected militants opened fire on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir on Tuesday, three security sources said, the worst attack on civilians in the troubled Himalayan region for years.
The attack occurred in Pahalgam, a popular destination in the scenic, mountainous region where mass tourism — especially during the summer — has resurged as Islamist militant violence has eased in recent years.
One security source told the Reuters news agency the death toll was 20; the second put it at 24, and Indian authorities told the BBC that at least two dozen people have been killed.
“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 kilometres, we did not stop … I am shaking,” another witness told India Today.
The attack happened in an off-the-road meadow and two or three militants were involved, the Indian Express newspaper reported, citing an unidentified senior police officer.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on X: “Those behind this heinous act will be brought to justice … They will not be spared!”
“Their evil agenda will never succeed. Our resolve to fight terrorism is unshakable, and it will get even stronger,” he said.
A little-known militant group, the Kashmir Resistance, claimed responsibility for the attack in a social media message. It expressed discontent that more than 85,000 “outsiders” had been settled in the region, spurring a “demographic change”.
“Consequently, violence will be directed toward those attempting to settle illegally,” it said.
The regional government of Indian-administered Kashmir, 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.
What led to the attack?
Militant violence has afflicted the Himalayan region, claimed in full but ruled in part by both India and Pakistan, since an armed rebellion against Indian forces began in 1989. Tens of thousands of people have been killed over the years, although violence has tapered off recently.
India revoked Kashmir’s special status in 2019, splitting the state into two federally administered territories — Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. The move allowed local authorities to issue domicile rights to outsiders, allowing them to get jobs and buy land in the territory.
That led to a deterioration of ties with Pakistan, which also claims the region. The dispute has spurred bitter animosity and military conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
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