On April 22, 2025, a devastating terrorist attack struck Baisaran near Pahalgam in the Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in the deaths of at least 28 people, most of whom were domestic tourists.

The attack, which occurred around 2:50 pm, was perpetrated by a group of four to six militants armed with M4 carbines and AK-47 rifles. The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility for the massacre, marking it as the deadliest attack on civilians in the Kashmir Valley since the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in 2019.

The assailants reportedly emerged from the surrounding forests dressed in military-style uniforms and initially posed as policemen. According to survivor accounts, they asked for names and demanded that victims recite the kalma (an Islamic declaration of faith), checking for circumcision to identify and spare Muslims, thereby specifically targeting non-Muslims. Most of the victims were male, with at least one assailant telling a woman she was being spared so she could "narrate the horrors" to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Eyewitness videos captured the chaos and horror, showing bloodied victims lying in the meadow and desperate pleas for help.

Among the deceased were two foreigners, a local resident, and Indian Navy officer Lieutenant Vinay Narwal, who was on leave after his recent marriage. The attack left at least 20 others injured, with some in critical condition. Emergency response was hampered by the remote location—Baisaran is accessible only by foot or pony—forcing locals to transport the wounded on ponies until helicopters could evacuate them to hospitals in Anantnag and Srinagar.

The TRF, which has a history of targeting civilians, government employees, and security forces, justified the attack on social media by claiming it was a response to the issuance of domiciles to non-locals, which they allege is an attempt to alter the region’s demographics. The group, officially banned in India in 2023, maintains an active online presence and is widely believed to operate under the direction and support of Lashkar-e-Taiba in Pakistan.

The attack has drawn widespread condemnation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was visiting Saudi Arabia at the time, cut short his trip and vowed that those responsible would be brought to justice, stating, "Their evil agenda will never succeed. Our resolve to fight terrorism is unshakable and it will get even stronger".

US President Donald Trump also called PM Modi to express condolences and assured India of full American support in combating terrorism.

Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah described the incident as "much larger than anything we've seen directed at civilians in recent years," calling it an abomination and the "worst kind of inhuman act".

The attack has prompted a massive security response, with joint search and cordon operations launched by the Indian Army and local police, and a temporary lockdown imposed in parts of Pahalgam.

This massacre, occurring at the onset of the tourist season and just ahead of the annual Amarnath Yatra, has sent shockwaves across the nation and the international community, underscoring the persistent threat of militancy in the region and the vulnerability of civilians, especially tourists, to such heinous acts of violence.

Agencies