Gunmen opened fire at a holiday spot near Pahalgam, killing several people. India and Pakistan both claim the entire Kashmir region, leading to a conflict which has killed thousands of civilians and rebels.
A number of tourists have been killed at a holiday spot in Indian-administered Kashmir after gunmen opened fire on Tuesday.
Indian authorities including Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the shooting a “terror attack”, with initial reports saying gunmen sprayed bullets at mostly Indian tourists visiting Baisaran meadow, around 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the disputed region’s resort town of Pahalgam.
At least five people have been confirmed as killed and more than 20 are feared dead, according to Indian media reports.
What do we know about the attack?
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that “the attack is much larger than anything we’ve seen directed at civilians in recent years”, with the death toll “still being ascertained”.
“This attack on our visitors is an abomination,” he said in a statement. “The perpetrators of this attack are animals, inhuman and worthy of contempt.”
In a post on social media platform X, the region’s governor Manoj Sinha condemned “the cowardly terror attack on tourists.” He added: “I assure the people that those behind this despicable attack will not go unpunished.”
Modi made a similar promise.
“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,” the Indian prime minister wrote on X.
Kashmir attracting tourists despite risks
Anti-Indian rebels in the Muslim-majority region have waged an insurgency since 1989.
They are seeking independence or a merger with Pakistan. Islamabad administers a smaller part of the Kashmir region and, like India, claims the region in its entirety.
India insists the Kashmir militancy is Pakistan-sponsored, which Pakistan denies, saying it only supports the region’s self-determination aspirations. Tens of thousands of civilians, rebels and government forces have been killed in the conflict.
India has an estimated 500,000 soldiers permanently deployed in the territory. Fighting decreased following the Modi government’s decision to revoke Kashmir’s limited autonomy in 2019.
Since then, the authorities have heavily promoted the mountainous region as a holiday destination – for skiing during the winter months, and to escape the intense heat during the summer.
Around 3.5 million tourists visited Kashmir in 2024, according to official figures. The majority were domestic visitors.
km/rmt (AFP, AP, Reuters)
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