A devastating terrorist attack on a tourist haven in Kashmir on Tuesday killed 26 people and put new strain on the uneasy relationship between India and Pakistan.
The attack targeted a tourist site in the Himalayas called Phalagam, also known as “Little Switzerland” because it has remained largely tranquil during 35 years of unrest in the region. The Jammu and Kashmir region is a territory administered by India that borders Pakistan. It has the highest proportion of Muslim residents of any territory in India. It was a partially autonomous state until 2019, when the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi revoked its autonomy and brought it fully under the Indian constitution.
India’s governing BJP party said it revoked autonomy to correct a massive “historical blunder” and solidify India’s claim on the region. Kashmir was one of the messiest relics of the British colonial era — a once-independent state whose status, after the modern nations of India and Pakistan were established, was a point of often violent contention. India and Pakistan have fought three wars since 1947 and two of them were over Kashmir.
BJP’s critics said the government revoked Kashmir’s autonomy as a political stunt to build credibility with its nationalist voters, or perhaps even as a prelude to expelling Muslim residents from the territory. Separatist violence decreased after 2019, but hard feelings remained.
Phalagam seemed to be one part of Kashmir that did not harbor resentments. Its picturesque architecture and breathtaking mountain vistas made it a popular tourist destination. Local residents seemed pleased with their thriving vacation industry.
One of Phalagam’s most beloved attractions is the meadow area of Baisaran, a somewhat rugged park with amazing mountain views. A group of tourists from across India were gathered at Baisaran when four gunmen attacked on Tuesday, hunting down and slaughtering the male visitors.
Dozens of injuries were reported in addition to the deaths. One reason for the high casualty count is that Baisaran is difficult to access with vehicles — most traffic is on foot or by horseback. Videos taken by terrified survivors fleeing for their lives immediately went viral on Indian social media.
The killers spared the female tourists they encountered. One of them said she was overcome by grief when her husband was murdered and asked the attackers to kill her as well. One of them replied, “I won’t kill you. Go tell this to Modi.”
Several of the female survivors said the attackers specifically targeted Hindu men and spared Muslims, testing their victims by ordering them to recite verses from the Quran and shooting those who could not comply. Police have said at least one of the victims was a Muslim male.
India was shocked by the Phalagam attack, the worst terrorist slaughter of civilians since the 2008 attack on Mumbai and the worst violence to strike Kashmir in years. Prime Minister Modi returned early from a trip abroad to coordinate India’s response. His defense minister, Rajnath Singh, strongly implied India would take military action — and not just against the specific insurgent group that claimed responsibility for the attack.
“Those responsible and behind such an act will very soon hear our response, loud and clear. We will not only reach those who have perpetrated this incident but also those who, sitting behind the scenes, have conspired to commit such acts on the soil of India,” Singh said.
A relatively small militant group called The Resistance Front (TRF) used the Telegram messaging platform on Tuesday to claim responsibility for the attack. The group is one of the few Kashmir insurgent operations that does not use an Islamic name, seemingly in a deliberate effort to cast itself as Kashmiri patriots or nationalists. It first became active on social media after Kashmir’s autonomy was revoked in 2019.
Indian security officials have speculated that TRF’s secular act is a smokescreen and the group is actually an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LT), a jihadi organization based in Pakistan. LT was the group behind the 2008 attack in Mumbai.
TRF said on Telegram its goal was to prevent India from changing the demography of Kashmir by granting residency permits to “outsiders.”
“Consequently, violence will be directed toward those attempting to settle illegally,” the group said.
Indian opposition politicians largely expressed their support for Modi taking aggressive action against the perpetrators of the attack, although there was also some criticism of Modi for putting too much emphasis on establishing a sense of “normalcy” in Kashmir at the expense of effective counterterrorism.
Indian security officials may also have underestimated the willingness of militants to strike at Kashmir tourism because doing so would harm the people of Kashmir by destroying their most profitable industry.
That industry appeared to be in free-fall on Wednesday, with reports of near-panic among tourists fleeing Kashmir and canceling their upcoming bookings. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah mourned an “exodus of our guests.”
“It’s heartbreaking to see the exodus of our guests from the valley after yesterday’s tragic terror attack in Pahalgam, but at the same time we totally understand why people would want to leave,” he said.
“This tragedy will paralyse business in Kashmir. We are trying hard to reassure our customers who may still want to come,” said hotel manager Abdul Salam, whose establishment was booked solid for months until Tuesday.
On Wednesday, India downgraded its diplomatic relations with Pakistan, suspended a vital cross-border water treaty, announced travel restrictions, withdrew Indian military advisers and many diplomats from Pakistan, and expelled Pakistani military advisers from India. Pakistani nationals visiting India on special visas were told to return home.
Pakistan was fairly silent on the Pahalgam attack at first beyond offering formal condolences to the victims, but Pakistani Power Minister Awais Leghari on Wednesday denounced India’s suspension of the water treaty as a “cowardly” and “illegal” act of “water warfare.”
“Every drop is ours by right, and we will defend it with full force – legally, politically, and globally,” Leghari declared.
An unexpectedly strong denunciation of the terrorist attack came from the Taliban junta in Afghanistan, which has grown more complimentary of India as its relations with Pakistan deteriorated over the past few years.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan categorically condemns the recent attack on tourists in the Pahalgam region of Jammu and Kashmir, and expresses condolences to the bereaved families,” Taliban spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi said on Wednesday.
Balkhi said, “such incidents undermine efforts to ensure regional security and stability.”
President Donald Trump called the Kashmir attack “deeply disturbing” in a Truth Social post on Tuesday.
“We pray for the souls of those lost, and for the recovery of the injured. Prime Minister Modi, and the incredible people of India, have our full support and deepest sympathies. Our hearts are with you all!” Trump wrote.
