Father, son from Gujarat's Bhavnagar killed in Pahalgam terror attack
Ahmedabad: Yatishbhai Parmar, a hair salon owner, and his 17-year-old son Smit Parmar from Gujarat's Bhavnagar were killed in the terror attack at Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district on Tuesday, officials said on Wednesday.
Yatishbhai and his son were on the missing list yesterday before their deaths were confirmed by security forces.
Yatishbhai's wife Kajalben Parmar escaped unharmed.
Vinodbhai Dabhi, another Bhavnagar resident, was injured as his arm was grazed by a bullet.
Bhavnagar district collector Manish Kumar Bansal said, 'Yatishbhai Parmar and his son Smit Parmar from Kaliyabid area of Bhavnagar have died in the incident. Their bodies will reach Mumbai by evening, and the Gujarat government authorities will bring them to Bhavnagar from there.'
He said the Parmar family and the injured Vinodbhai Dabhi were all part of a group of 19 tourists from Bhavnagar who had hired a bus for a vacation in Kashmir.
Of the group, 16 were unhurt, barring the two killed and the one injured.
The Parmar family had attended a Ram Katha by Morari Bapu in Srinagar before visiting Pahalgam, about 90 kilometers away, where terrorists in army uniforms fired on tourists.
Prakashbhai Nathani, a relative of the victims, said, 'Losing Yatishbhai and Smit is devastating.'
'Kajalben's safety is a small relief,' added Nikhilbhai Nathani, another relative.
Spiritual leader Morari Bapu, from Bhavnagar district, announced financial assistance through his trust to support the families of all 26 victims of the attack. For each victim who died in the attack, his trust will give ₹5 lakh in financial assistance to their family, he said.
Bapu said the Ram Katha, which started from April 19, would be discontinued though it as originally scheduled till April 27, in view of the terror attack.
Another Gujarat resident, Shaileshbhai Kalthiya, a bank employee from Surat posted in Mumbai, was also killed in the attack, which claimed 26 lives.
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