Gunmen kill at least 20 in Kashmiri tourist town

Thomson Reuters

· Posted: Apr 22, 2025 12:18 PM EDT | Last Updated: 42 minutes ago

At slightest 20 radical were feared killed aft suspected militants opened occurrence connected tourists successful India's Jammu and Kashmir territory connected Tuesday, 3 information sources said, the worst onslaught connected civilians successful the troubled Himalayan portion for years.

All 3 spoke connected the information of anonymity arsenic they were not authorized to talk to the media.

The onslaught occurred successful Pahalgam, a fashionable destination successful the scenic, mountainous portion wherever wide tourism, particularly during the summertime months, has seen a resurgence arsenic Islamist militant unit has eased successful caller years.

"The firing happened successful beforehand of us," 1 witnesser told broadcaster India Today, without giving his name. "We thought idiosyncratic was mounting disconnected firecrackers, but erstwhile we heard different radical [screaming], we rapidly got retired of determination ...."

"For 4 kilometres, we did not stop.... I americium shaking," different witnesser told India Today.

The attack, which took spot successful an off-the-road meadow, involved two oregon 3 militants, the Indian Express paper reported, citing an unidentified elder constabulary officer.

"The decease toll is inactive being ascertained, truthful I don't privation to get into those details," Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said successful a station connected X, formerly Twitter. "Needless to say, this onslaught is overmuch larger than thing we've seen directed astatine civilians successful caller years."

The nationalities of the victims were not instantly known.

A little-known militant radical called the Kashmir Resistance claimed work for the onslaught successful a societal media message. It expressed discontent that much than 85,000 "outsiders" had been settled successful the region, spurring a "demographic change."

"Consequently, unit volition beryllium directed toward those attempting to settee illegally," it said.

Reuters could not independently verify the root of the message. 

Special presumption revoked 6 years ago

The determination authorities of Jammu and Kashmir, wherever Pahalgam is located, told its legislature this period that astir 84,000 non-locals from wrong India had been fixed domicile rights successful the territory successful the past 2 years.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised that the perpetrators would beryllium brought justice.

"Their evil docket volition ne'er succeed," Modi said. "Our resoluteness to combat coercion is unshakable, and it volition get adjacent stronger."

Indian Home Minister Amit Shah said helium was rushing to Kashmir to clasp a information meeting.

The Himalayan region, claimed successful afloat but ruled successful portion by some India and Pakistan, has been prone to militant unit since the commencement of an anti-Indian insurgency successful 1989.

Tens of thousands of radical person been killed, though unit has tapered disconnected successful caller years.

India revoked Kashmir's peculiar presumption successful 2019, splitting the authorities into 2 federally administered territories — Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

The determination besides allowed section authorities to contented domicile rights to outsiders, allowing them to get jobs and bargain onshore successful the territory. That led to a deterioration of ties with Pakistan, which besides claims the region.

The quality has been astatine the basal of bitter animosity and subject struggle betwixt the nuclear-armed neighbours.

Attacks targeting tourists successful Kashmir person go rare. The past deadly incidental took spot successful June 2024, erstwhile astatine slightest 9 radical were killed and 33 injured aft a militant onslaught caused a autobus carrying Hindu pilgrims to plunge into a heavy gorge.

Some large militant attacks during the tallness of the insurgency coincided with visits from high-profile overseas officials to India, successful apt attempts to gully planetary attraction to Kashmir, Indian information agencies person said.