At least 20 people shot dead in ‘terror attack’ at tourist hotspot

At least 20 people are feared to have been killed when gunmen opened fire on visitors at a popular tourist spot in Indian-controlled Kashmir.

Police have described the incident as a ‘terror attack’ and blamed militants fighting against Indian rule.

‘This attack is much larger than anything we’ve seen directed at civilians in recent years,’ Omar Abdullah, the region’s top elected official, wrote on social media.

‘The death toll is still being ascertained so I don’t want to get into those details.’

One security source put the death toll at 20, while the second put it at 24 and the third at 26.

Initial reports said shots were fired at mostly Indian tourists visiting Baisaran meadow, around three miles from the disputed region’s resort town of Pahalgam.

Pahalgam is a popular destination in the scenic mountainous region where mass tourism, especially during the summer months, has resurged as Islamist militant violence has eased in recent years.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said: ‘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.’

Indian Home Minister Amit Shah said he was rushing to Kashmir to hold a security meeting.

The Himalayan region, claimed in full but ruled in part by both India and Pakistan, has been prone to militant violence since the start of an anti-Indian insurgency in 1989.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed, although violence has tapered off in recent years.

India revoked Kashmir’s special status in 2019, splitting the state into two federally administered territories – Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

The move also 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 been at the root of bitter animosity and military conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

Attacks targeting tourists in Kashmir have become rare.

The last deadly incident took place in June 2024 when at least nine people were killed and 33 injured after a militant attack caused a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims to plunge into a deep gorge.

Some major militant attacks during the height of the insurgency coincided with visits from high-profile foreign officials to India, in likely attempts to draw global attention to Kashmir, Indian security agencies have said.

Tuesday’s attack came a day after US Vice President JD Vance began a four-day, largely personal visit to India.

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