At least two dozen people are feared to have been killed after gunmen indiscriminately fired at tourists in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Tuesday in what local authorities called a terror attack, blaming militants fighting against Indian rule.
“This attack is much larger than anything we’ve seen directed at civilians in recent years,” Omar Abdullah, the region’s top elected official, wrote on social media. “The death toll is still being ascertained so I don’t want to get into those details.”
However, AFP reported Indian police as saying at least 24 people have died in the attack, which coincided with the trip to India of U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who is on a largely personal four-day visit, though he is also promoting trade ties.
Initial reports said gunmen sprayed bullets at mostly Indian tourists visiting Baisaran meadow, some five kilometers (three miles) from the disputed region’s resort town of Pahalgam.
Police said multiple tourists had gunshot wounds, and officials were evacuating them to hospitals.
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“I strongly condemn the terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir,” India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted to X.
“Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that the injured recover at the earliest. All possible assistance is being provided to those affected.
“Those behind this heinous act will be brought to justice…they will not be spared! Their evil agenda will never succeed. Our resolve to fight terrorism is unshakable and it will get even stronger.”
Police and soldiers cordoned off the area and launched a hunt for the attackers.
The meadow in Pahalgam is a top sightseeing destination, surrounded by snow-capped mountains and dotted with pine forests. It is visited by hundreds of tourists every day.
“The terrorist attack on tourists in Pahalgam of Jammu and Kashmir is shocking and painful,” India’s President Rashtrapati Bhavan posted on X, formerly Twitter.
“It is a dastardly and inhuman act which must be condemned unequivocally. Attacking innocent citizens, in this case tourists, is utterly appalling and unpardonable.
“My heartfelt condolences to the families who have lost their dear ones and my prayers for the quick recovery of the injured.”
Nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan each administer part of Kashmir, but both claim the territory in its entirety.
Militants in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir have been fighting New Delhi’s rule since 1989. Many Muslim Kashmiris support the rebels’ goal of uniting the territory, either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country.
India insists the Kashmir militancy is Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. Pakistan denies the charge, and many Kashmiris consider it a legitimate freedom struggle.
Tens of thousands of civilians, rebels and government forces have been killed in the conflict.
This is a developing article and more information will be added soon.
This article uses reporting by The Associated Press.