According to the reports on Wednesday (23 April), a group of four heavily armed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists, including two locals identified as Aadil Thakur from Bijbehara and Aasif Sheikh from Tral, launched a brutal attack on Hindu tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. The attackers, equipped with AK-47 rifles loaded with armor-piercing bullets and wearing body cameras, selectively identified and targeted Hindu men among the tourists after asking for their names and other religious identifiers.
Sources from the security establishment confirmed that although The Resistance Front (TRF) claimed responsibility for the attack, it is a proxy for the Pakistan-based LeT, often used to falsely portray such attacks as indigenous. Two of the terrorists were believed to be of Pashtun origin, further linking the incident to cross-border elements. It has also emerged that the original plan may have been to attack during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s planned visit to Katra on April 19, which was ultimately canceled.
The massacre occurred in the popular Baisaran meadows, also known as Maggi Point or Mini Switzerland. During the 15-minute operation, the terrorists separated women and children before executing the targeted men. One of the victims included a staff member of the Intelligence Bureau who was vacationing with his family. The attack has raised serious questions about the absence of security despite prior intelligence inputs about potential militant movement in the region.
The killing of 26 people has triggered national outrage and is considered a major security lapse. Prime Minister Modi, cutting short his Saudi Arabia visit, returned to India and immediately reviewed the situation at the airport in New Delhi. Security forces have launched a massive manhunt, deploying special forces and intensifying searches in the area. Authorities now face increasing pressure to reassess security measures in tourist zones and prevent future attacks.
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Terrorists Target Hindus in Pahalgam Tourist Attack Using Body Cams and Steel Bullets
