Pahalgam terror attack: 28 tourists killed, TRF claims responsibility
Terrorists in Kashmir opened fire on tourists near Pahalgam, resulting in at least 28 deaths, including foreigners and an Indian Navy officer. Prime Minister Modi cut short his Saudi Arabia trip, and the US President is expected to offer condolences. The Resistance Front, a Lashkar-e-Taiba offshoot, claimed responsibility, citing demographic change concerns following the abrogation of Article 370.
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At least 28 people were killed in Kashmir on Tuesday after terrorists opened fire on a group comprising mostly domestic tourists at Baisaran near Pahalgam, an attack that Jammu & Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah said was "much larger than anything we've seen directed at civilians in recent years".Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was on a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, decided to cut short his trip and will return to India early Wednesday. In view of the terrorist attack, Modi also skipped the official dinner hosted by Saudi Arabia, people in the know said.US President Donald Trump is expected to speak with PM Modi "as soon as he possibly can, to express his heartfelt condolences for those lost. Our prayers are with those injured and our nation's support for our ally India," according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.The toll in Pahalgam could rise since several others were grievously injured, according to officials who were yet to confirm the exact number of casualties and the identity of the victims.The deceased included two foreigners, whose nationality was yet to be established, as well as a local, they said. Among those killed was an Indian Navy officer who got married last week and was on a trip to Kashmir with his wife. Sources said Lieutenant Vinay Narwal, a native of Haryana, was posted in Kochi.J&K health minister Sakina Ittoo said, "Thirteen people have received injuries and are undergoing treatment in different hospitals." The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba claimed responsibility for the attack on social media platforms. It was formed after abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. In a statement circulated on social media, the TRF said, "More than 85,000 domiciles have been issued to non-locals, creating a pathway for demographic change in India-occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IOJK). These non-locals arrive posing as tourists, obtain domiciles, and then begin to act as if they own the land. Consequently, violence will be directed toward those attempting to settle illegally."The biggest terrorist attack on tourists in Jammu & Kashmir in more than two decades came at the onset of the tourist season in the Valley and coincided with US vice president JD Vance's official visit to the country. It was the first major attack since the one in Pulwama in February 2019, in which 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel were killed.Baisaran, where the incident took place, is a meadow about five kilometres from the popular tourist destination of Pahalgam, without a direct motorable road. Pahalgam, about 100 km from capital Srinagar, in Anantnag district of southern Kashmir, is also the base camp for Amarnath Yatra, which is scheduled to start from July 3.Locals and tourists either trek by foot or use ponies to reach the plateau in the forest area. Here makeshift hutments of vendors sell eatables and the area remains busy with tourists during peak hours of the day. The tourist area does not have a significant presence of armed forces."I saw two persons coming down from the forest area with bags," said an eyewitness, who did not wish to be identified.Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that those behind the attack will be brought to justice. "They (terrorists) will not be spared! Their evil agenda will never succeed. Our resolve to fight terrorism is unshakable and it will get even stronger," he said in a post on X.
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