At least 26 people were killed in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, when gunmen fired at them at close range, according to media reports citing sources in Indian police.
The terrorist group The Resistance Front (TRF), which is believed to be linked to Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), has claimed responsibility for the attacks.
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Local media reported that the gunmen checked the identity cards of the victims, and asked about their religion before killing them. According to Indian police, four gunmen carried out the attack. The injured were transported to local hospitals for treatment.
“Those behind this heinous act will be brought to justice… they will not be spared,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on X. “Their evil agenda will never succeed. Our resolve to fight terrorism is unshakable and it will get even stronger.”
Modi, who is currently on an official visit to Saudi Arabia, has been briefed on the incident, Home Minister Amit Shah said. He added that those involved in this “dastardly act of terror will not be spared.” According to Indian government sources, Modi will end his visit to Saudi Arabia early and return to India.
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“This attack on our visitors is an abomination. The perpetrators of this attack are animals, inhuman & worthy of contempt. No words of condemnation are enough. I send my sympathies to the families of the deceased,” Omar Abdullah, the region’s top elected official, said on X.
The attack occurred during a period of increased tourism in the region. Pahalgam, known for its scenic beauty, attracts thousands of visitors each year.
Russian President Vladimir Putin conveyed his condolences to the Indian leadership following the attack. “This brutal crime can have no justification. We hope that those who organized and carried out this act will be brought to justice,” he said, according to the Kremlin. Putin also reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with India in the fight against all forms of terrorism.
The region of Kashmir has been a longstanding source of tensions between India and Pakistan, with both countries claiming sovereignty over it. This dispute has persisted since the two countries gained independence from British rule in 1947, and it remains a major point of contention between the nuclear-armed nations.
India has long accused Pakistan of supporting and financing terrorism, both within its borders and inside India.
“Pakistan’s cross-border terrorism policy will never succeed,” Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar said in a speech at the UN General Assembly in New York last year. He vowed that New Delhi would impose “consequences” for actions by Islamabad, indirectly referring to increased militancy in Kashmir in recent months following years of relative calm.