Srinagar, MINA – At least 26 people were killed when unidentified gunmen opened fire on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir on Tuesday, prompting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to return early from his official visit to Saudi Arabia, officials told Anadolu Agency.
The attack took place in the Baisaran area of Pahalgam, a popular and often-crowded tourist spot in southern Kashmir. The area is accessible only on foot and was filled with visitors during the ongoing tourist season. Authorities described the mass shooting as one of the most severe attacks in recent years.
Modi, who had arrived in Jeddah early Tuesday for a two-day state visit, will cut short his trip and return to India by Wednesday morning, Indian officials confirmed.
“Medical teams were swiftly mobilized and casualty evacuation commenced,” the Indian Army said in a statement. A joint search operation with local police is ongoing to locate and apprehend the attackers.
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While most of the victims were Indian nationals from various states, officials have not yet released detailed demographic information.
Indian Home Minister Amit Shah traveled to Srinagar shortly after updating Modi, where he met with top security officials to assess the situation.
The attack came as US Vice President JD Vance was on a four-day visit to India. Vance expressed condolences to the families of the victims. US President Donald Trump also spoke with Modi, extending his “deepest condolences” over the loss of innocent lives, according to India’s Foreign Ministry.
The region of Kashmir, long disputed between India and Pakistan, has experienced ongoing conflict since an anti-India insurgency began in 1989. Despite the violence, attacks specifically targeting tourists have remained rare.
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Last June, a separate incident involving a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims resulted in at least nine deaths when the vehicle was driven into a deep gorge following an attack.
In response to the latest killings, several organizations across kashmir/">Jammu and Kashmir have called for a shutdown on Wednesday. The religious body Mutahida Majlis Ulema, led by top cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, urged people to observe a peaceful protest in solidarity with the victims’ families. []
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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