26 Dead as Terrorists Open Fire at Tourists in Pahalgam

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

- Mir Ehsan

SRINAGAR: The 26 dead included two foreigners and two locals, a high-ranking official said without getting into details. 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 2 pm, officials said.

Dubbed 'mini Switzerland', Baisaran, nearly five kilometers from Pahalgam, is an expansive meadow that was much sought after by filmmakers in the 1980s. Armed gunman came into the grassland started firing at tourists milling around eateries, taking pony rides or just picnicking, officials and eyewitnesses said.