SRINAGAR: In the firing incident in the tourist destination of Pahalgam in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the death toll has crossed over 20 people.
The attack took place in a busy area frequented by tourists and locals, causing panic and chaos.
According to a foreign news agency, armed men opened fire on tourists in India’s Jammu and Kashmir territory. The attack occurred in Pahalgam, a popular destination in the scenic, mountainous region where mass tourism, especially during the summer months.
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 an Indian newspaper.
The attack took place in an off-the-road meadow and two or three militants were involved, another 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,” Jammu and Kashmir 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.
A little-known militant group called 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.
