On April 22, 2025, terrorists launched a deadly attack on a group of tourists at the Baisaran meadow near Pahalgam town in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district, killing at least 26 people and injuring around a dozen others. The majority of the victims were tourists, including some foreign nationals, making it the deadliest attack in the Kashmir Valley since the 2019 Pulwama strike. The attackers opened fire from close range, causing panic and severe casualties among the visitors.

The terrorist group The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy for the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), claimed responsibility for the assault. Indian authorities launched an extensive search operation to apprehend the perpetrators and vowed to bring them to justice. Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the "heinous act," promising that those behind it would face severe consequences. He expressed condolences to the families of the victims and assured that all possible aid was being extended to the injured.

The attack drew widespread international condemnation and expressions of solidarity with India. U.S. President Donald Trump described the news as "deeply disturbing" and reaffirmed the United States' strong stance against terrorism, offering full support to India and condolences to the victims' families. Trump also personally called Prime Minister Modi to extend his sympathies.

Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a message of condolence to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Modi, calling the attack a "brutal crime" with no justification and promising that the perpetrators would be punished. Putin reiterated Russia's commitment to cooperating with India in combating terrorism and conveyed sincere sympathies to the victims' families and wishes for the recovery of the injured.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed that she was "deeply saddened" by the attack and extended solidarity to the affected families, the injured, the Indian government, and the people of India. Other world leaders, including U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, and officials from the UAE, also condemned the attack and offered condolences.

The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly denounced the terrorist act, reaffirming its rejection of violence and terrorism and expressing sympathy to the Indian government and victims' families.

 Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman also expressed his anguish over the terror attack in Kashmir, saying Saudi Arabia stands with India and shall extend any support that is needed in this time of grief.

The attack occurred amid heightened security concerns in the region, which has seen ongoing militant violence despite a reduction in recent years. Pahalgam is a popular tourist and pilgrimage destination, notably for the annual Amarnath Yatra. The incident has triggered increased security measures and a national outcry against terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.

Agencies