Terrorists associated with The Resistance Front (TRF) opened fire on a group of tourists on April 22, 2025, at the Baisaran meadow near Pahalgam in the Anantnag district of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, claiming at least 28 lives and injuring more than 20 others. The attack, one of the deadliest in the region since the 2019 Pulwama bombing, targeted civilians and was reportedly aimed at resisting alleged demographic changes in the Kashmir Valley.The attack resulted in the deaths of at least 28 people, including tourists and government officials, as well as several injuries. The terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba’s offshoot, the Resistance Front (TRF), claimed responsibility for the attack.

Attack

The attack by four to six militants took place around 14:50 on April 22 in the Baisaran meadow near Pahalgam, a remote tourist spot in Indian-administered Kashmir that can only be reached by foot or horseback. After days of rain, the area was crowded with tourists taking advantage of the improved weather. The survivors claim that gunmen dressed in military garb emerged from nearby forests and opened fire on the crowd. The survivors said that the attackers started out by pretending to be police officers and asking for names before suddenly opening fire, killing most women but only a few men. Witness accounts suggested the assailants singled out non-Muslims, asking victims to recite the kalma and checking for circumcision. Those who failed were shot.

Most of the victims, according to witnesses, were men. One assailant allegedly told a woman that she would be spared so she could “narrate the horrors” to India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Video footage from the scene captured bloodied individuals lying on the ground and others pleading for assistance, and several victims were shot at close range.  The attackers asked for names and demanded that the victims recite the kalma. They checked for circumcisions to identify and spare Muslims, ensuring they were targeting non-Muslims.

Eyewitness videos showed scenes of panic and injured victims pleading for help. While others were seen lying motionless in the meadow, one woman could be seen yelling for help for her husband. At least 28 people were killed, and several others were critically injured.

Soon after district headquarters learned of the attack, emergency personnel arrived on the scene. Around 16:30, two of the victims who were critically injured were taken to Anantnag District Hospital, while others were taken to medical facilities nearby. For further treatment, some were transported by helicopter to a military hospital in Srinagar. A joint search and cordon operation involving local police and the Indian Army was launched in the area. Helicopters were deployed to locate the attackers, and a temporary lockdown was imposed in parts of Pahalgam.

Source: Wikipedia