Terror Strikes Kashmir: 26 People, Mostly Tourists, Killed in Pahalgam

Union home minister reaches Srinagar to review security situation; leaders across party lines condemn the attack

- PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

Terrorists opened fire at a famed meadow near Kashmir's Pahalgam town on Tuesday afternoon, killing 26 people, mostly tourists, in what is being called the deadliest attack in the Valley since the Pulwama strike of 2019.

The 26 dead included two foreigners and two locals, a high-ranking official said without getting into details. The toll is still being ascertained, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said while describing the terror attack as "much larger than anything we've seen directed at civilians in recent years".

The attack, which comes as US Vice-President J D Vance is visiting India and just as the tourist and trekking season is picking up momentum, took place around 3 pm, officials said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Srinagar to review the security situation in Kashmir. He is scheduled to chair a high-level meeting of security officials, the officials said.

The home minister is likely to visit Pahalgam on Wednesday, they added.

Baisaran, about six kilometers from the resort town of Pahalgam, is an expansive meadow ringed by dense pine forests and mountains and a favorite with visitors from across the country and the world.