Srinagar, India (AP) – Police shot at least 26 tourists at the Indian-controlled Kashmir resort on Tuesday, which appears to be a major shift in the regional conflict that tourists have largely been spared.
Police described the incident as a “terrorist attack” and accused militants of fighting Indian rule. “This attack is much bigger than anyone we have pointed to civilians in recent years,” Omar Abdullah, the region’s top elected official, wrote on social media.
At least four gunmen were described as militants who fired shots at dozens of tourists from close range, two senior police officers said. At least thirty people were injured and many were in serious condition, officials said.
Officials said most of the tourists killed were Indians. Officials collected at least 24 bodies in Baisaran Meadow, about 3 miles from the resort of Pahalgam, a disputed area. Two other people died while receiving medical treatment.
There is no claim to immediately claim responsibility. Police and soldiers are looking for attackers.
“We will seriously affect the worst consequences,” India’s Home Minister Amit Shah wrote on social media, arriving in Srinagar, a major city in India-controlled Kashmir, and convened a meeting with top security officials.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi shortened his two-day visit to Saudi Arabia and returned to New Delhi early Wednesday, according to Indian News Agency.
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a key resistance politician, Kashmir’s top religious priest, condemned what he called “coward attacks on tourists”, writing on social media: “This violence is unacceptable and full of love and warmth for the spirit of Kashmir.”
The shooting coincided with the visit of U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who called it a “destructive terrorist attack.” He added on social media: “We have overcome us in the beauty of this country and its people over the past few days. Our thoughts and prayers join them in mourning this terrorist attack.”
U.S. President Donald Trump pointed out on social media that “Kashmir is deeply disturbing. Other global leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Italian Prime Minister George Meloni, condemned the attack.
Nuclear weapons rivals India and Pakistan each manage part of Kashmir, but both claim full claims of the territory.
After New Delhi ended its semi-autonomous region in 2019, Kashmir has seen a series of targeted Hindus targets killing Hindus, including migrant workers in Indian states.
Tensions have been working hard as India intensifies its counterinsurgency operations. But despite tourists flocking to Kashmir’s Himalayan foothills and beautifully decorated boathouses, it has not yet been targeted.
The area attracts millions of tourists who enjoy the strange peace of ubiquitous security checkpoints, armored vehicles and patrol soldiers. New Delhi has vigorously promoted tourism and claims it is a sign of a normal return.
Pahalgam’s meadow is a popular destination surrounded by snow-capped mountains and dotted with pine forests. Hundreds of tourists come to visit it every day.
Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi said in condemning the attack that the Modi government should be held accountable, rather than making “hollow claims” for “a normal situation” in the region.
Since 1989, militants in the Indian control of Kashmir have been fighting the rule of New Delhi. Many Muslim Kashmiris support the rebels’ goal of uniting the territory under Pakistani rule or independent states.
India insists that Kashmir forces are Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. Pakistan denies the allegation, and many Kashmiris believe it is a legal battle for freedom. In the conflict, thousands of civilians, rebels and government forces have been killed.
In March 2000, at least 35 civilians were shot dead in southern villages, while then-President Bill Clinton visited India. This has been the deadliest attack in the region in recent years.
Recently, violence in the Kashmir Valley, the core of the anti-Indian insurgency, has disappeared. The battle between government forces and rebels moved mainly to remote areas of the Chamu area, including Rajuri, Ponchi and Katua, with Indian troops facing deadly attacks.
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Associated Press writers Sheikh Saaliq in New Delhi, USA and Michelle Price of Washington contributed to the report.
