An armed attack, one of the most severe civilian attacks in recent years in the Indian-controlled Kashmir region, occurred near the tourist destination Pahalgam. Gunmen opened fire on a group of tourists, leaving at least 24 people dead and multiple others injured.

A senior police officer told AFP that this is one of the worst civilian massacres in recent years. The attack site is about 90 kilometers away from Srinagar, an important city in the Kashmir region, and belongs to a popular summer resort and skiing area.

After the incident, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned it as a "heinous terrorist attack" and stated, "The perpetrators of these heinous acts will be brought to justice," "Our determination to combat terrorism is unwavering and will only grow stronger."

Indian Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah flew to the scene urgently and promised that the attackers would not be tolerated and would be punished with the strictest measures possible.

A tour guide named Waheed told AFP that he rushed to the scene after hearing gunshots and assisted in transporting the injured using horses. "I saw some people lying on the ground, looking lifeless."

The medical staff at the Anantnag local hospital confirmed that they received multiple casualties, including at least two gunshot victims, one of whom was critically injured with a neck wound.

Omar Abdullah, Chief Minister of the Indian-administered Kashmir region, described the event as "larger than any other attack on civilians in recent years" and denounced the attackers as "inhumane beasts."

Mehbooba Mufti, former Chief Minister of Kashmir and leader of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), said, "I strongly condemn this cowardly attack on tourists; preliminary information indicates at least five deaths and multiple injuries."

Rahul Gandhi, leader of India's main opposition Congress party, called the incident "heartbreaking" and urged the federal government to "take responsibility."

This attack occurred the day before Prime Minister Modi met with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance. In 2023, India hosted the G20 Tourism Conference in Srinagar, attempting to showcase the region's return to normalcy.

In recent years, the Modi government has been continuously promoting tourism development in Kashmir, hoping to attract tourists through winter skiing and summer resorts. In 2024, over 3.5 million tourists visited Kashmir, the vast majority being domestic Indian tourists.

Although India accuses Pakistan of supporting Kashmiri insurgents, Pakistan denies this, claiming it only supports the local "just struggle for self-determination."

The conflict in the Kashmir region has been ongoing for a long time. Since 1989, resistance forces have continued to launch rebellions in this Muslim-majority region. No organization has yet claimed responsibility for this attack.

This is also the most serious security incident since the Pulwama attack in 2019, when a vehicle loaded with explosives rammed into Indian security forces, causing 40 deaths and 35 injuries. A more tragic civilian attack occurred in March 2000, resulting in 36 deaths.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7496254368648266292/

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