Pahalgam, a hilly valley in Kashmir, has long been a tourist attraction. The area, known as ‘mini-Switzerland’, has recently gained more popularity. Because the Indian government claimed that terrorist violence in the region had decreased. But on April 22, at least 20 people were killed and many others were injured in a tragic attack there.
Unknown gunmen are said to have opened fire on tourists. This is the deadliest terrorist attack in Kashmir since 2019. A group called the ‘Resistance Front’ has claimed responsibility for the attack. They have claimed that the attack was carried out in protest against the settlement of 85,000 foreigners in the region.
However, Indian police say that terrorists opposed to Indian rule are behind the attack. Former Indian military and intelligence officials have alleged that the Pakistani army is behind the attack and have demanded a strong and swift response to it.
It is worth noting that India carried out air strikes in Pakistan after 40 Indian paramilitary personnel were killed in a terrorist attack in 2019. Pakistan also retaliated. An Indian fighter jet crashed in Pakistan and the pilot was later returned to India.
The attack dealt a major blow to the Indian government’s claim that the situation in Kashmir was stable. Thousands of people have been killed in the anti-India armed insurgency that began in 1989. Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh became union territories after the revocation of Kashmir’s autonomy in 2019. The decision has allowed outsiders to buy land and find jobs in the area, and tourism has also increased; but relations with Pakistan have deteriorated sharply.
In a recent speech, Pakistan’s army chief General Asim Munir referred to Kashmir as “connected to our veins and arteries.” He said, “We will not forget Kashmir and we will not turn our backs on the just struggle of our Kashmiri brothers.”
Former Indian security analysts believe the attack was carried out to draw international attention and damage tourism in Kashmir, which is hosting a major Hindu pilgrimage in the coming weeks, during a foreign trip by US Vice President J.D. Vance and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In June 2024, a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims fell into a mountain gorge, killing nine people. That incident was also believed to be the result of a terrorist attack. At that time, India carried out a massive security operation. The latest incident has created public sentiment for tougher action.
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