A tragic attack on civilians in the holiday destination of Baisaran Meadows in Pahalgam, Kashmir, India, has left at least 26 people dead as gunmen opened fire on the innocent crowds.
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The attack is being described as an anti-India terrorist attack by officials. The area, Kashmir, is a contested land. The attack, which has left 26 dead, occurred just after 3 pm. The targets were the tourists enjoying their holidays in Baisaran Meadows.
This is a holiday resort located just outside the contested area of Pahalgam. No group has yet come forward to claim the attack. However, the police have pinned the senseless murder on anti-India forces that operate in the area. Both Pakistan and India claim the zone.
The entire area was quickly locked down by authorities. Extensive searches in the area have been underway to find the gunmen. However, so far, nobody has been taken into custody. Survivors from the attack say there were a total of four gunmen. They fired on the tourist crowd at close range. 26 so far have been confirmed dead, with many more injured and in critical condition.
Area On Lockdown After Gunmen Attack Tourists
A local guide for the area assisted with transporting the dead and wounded from the scene of the brutal attack. He used his horse to carry bodies to emergency services working in the area. He was there to witness the savage attack by the gunmen.
It has been noted that many of the murdered tourists were indian. The tour guide, who wished to remain unnamed, said that they had killed mainly men. According to his report, the gunmen appeared to be sparing the women in their attack.
The entire contested tourist area has been thrown into chaos. An Indian tourist spoke to Al Jazeera about the confusion. "Some authorities say we'll be allowed through in an hour, others mention an official meeting, while some claim there's an ongoing operation. Everyone is saying something different, but no one has any real answers."
This is the worst attack on civilians India has seen in many years. Since then, the Prime Minister of India, who is visiting Saudi Arabia currently, labelled it as a heinous act, promising that the gunmen will be brought to justice.
