Pahalgam Attack: Terrorists Asked Tourists To Recite ‘Kalima’ Before Killing; 26 Dead, Several Injured In Kashmir

Pahalgam Terror Attack: Eyewitnesses have revealed shocking details of the terror attack that struck Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday. According to their accounts, terrorists selectively targeted tourists based on their religion before opening fire on them. In what has been described as one of the deadliest attacks on civilians since the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, 26 people, including two foreign nationals, were killed, and several others were injured.

Armed militants, dressed in military fatigues, emerged from the dense pine forests surrounding Baisaran Valley, a popular tourist spot, and began shooting indiscriminately at the unsuspecting tourists.

News18 cited in their reports that one of the terrorists approached a couple, asking about their religious beliefs. He then demanded that the men recite the ‘kalima’, a declaration of faith, before shooting them when they failed to do so. Eyewitnesses confirmed that the gunmen first targeted men and then opened fire, asking them to recite the religious phrase before killing them.

Also Read: Pahalgam Terror Attack LIVE Updates: Amit Shah Holds High-Level Meeting In Srinagar; Two Foreigners Among 26 Killed 

As gunshots rang out, local workers, many of whom depend on tourism for their livelihood, fled in panic, leaving the tourists vulnerable. One survivor, a woman, shared her heartbreaking story with PTI, saying, “My husband was shot in the head... because he was not a Muslim." She urgently called for help to get the injured to safety.

Responding to the terror incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed strict action. PM Modi also cut short his trip to Saudi Arabia and will be back in India on Wednesday morning to address the security issue that has left the nation shocked. Union Home Minister Amit Shah reached Srinagar on Tuesday evening and held high-level meeting with top security officials. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah condemned the attack and described it as "much larger than anything we've seen directed at civilians in recent years".

The Resistance Front (TRF), a "proxy" of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror group, claimed responsibility for the attack.