Militant Attack in Kashmir – 2025 Pahalgam Massacre

 

Militant Attack in Kashmir – 2025 Pahalgam Massacre

On April 22, 2025, the serene Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir was shattered by a brutal militant attack, marking one of the deadliest assaults on civilians in India in recent years. Four heavily armed militants affiliated with The Resistance Front, an offshoot of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen, targeted a group of tourists, resulting in 28 fatalities and over 20 injuries.

The Attack Unfolds

Around 2:50 PM, the assailants, dressed in military-style uniforms, emerged from the surrounding forests and opened fire on tourists enjoying the scenic beauty of Baisaran Valley. Eyewitnesses reported that the gunmen segregated men from women and children, interrogated the men, and executed those unable to recite Islamic verses. The attackers used M4 carbines and AK-47s, firing indiscriminately across the meadow, eateries, and forested paths.

Casualties and Their Origins

The attack claimed the lives of 28 individuals, including 24 Indian tourists, two locals from Jammu and Kashmir, and two foreign nationals from Nepal and the United Arab Emirates. The victims hailed from various Indian states, reflecting the widespread impact of this tragedy.

List of Deceased Individuals:

No.	Name	Residence	State/Region
1	Sushil Nathyal	Indore	Madhya Pradesh
2	Syed Adil Hussain Shah	Pahalgam	Jammu and Kashmir
3	Hemant Suhas Joshi	Tami, Mumbai	Maharashtra
4	Vinay Narwal	Karnal	Haryana
5	Atul Shrikant Moni	Thakurwadi, Dombivli West	Maharashtra
6	Neeraj Udhawani	Uttarakhand	Uttarakhand
7	Bitan Adhikari	Kolkata	West Bengal
8	Sudeep Neupane	Batwali Ropandi	Nepal
9	Shubham Dwivedi	Kanpur City	Uttar Pradesh
10	Prashant Kumar Satpathi	Malashwar	Odisha
11	Manish Ranjan	Bihar	Bihar
12	N. Ramachandra	Kochi	Kerala
13	Sanjay Lakshman	Thane	Maharashtra
14	Dinesh Agarwal	Chandigarh	Chandigarh
15	Sameer Guhar	Kolkata	West Bengal
16	Dileep Dasali	Panvel	Maharashtra
17	J. Sachandra Moli	Vishakhapatnam	Andhra Pradesh
18	Madhusudhan Trilupala Somisetty	Bangalore	Karnataka
19	Santosh Jaghda	Pune	Maharashtra
20	Manju Nath Rao	Karnataka	Karnataka
21	Kastuba Gantoyav	Pune	Maharashtra
22	Bharat Bhushan Chana Virapa	Bengaluru	Karnataka
23	Sumit Parmar	Bhavnagar	Gujarat
24	Yatesh Parmar	Bhavnagar	Gujarat
25	Tagelyang	Zero	Arunachal Pradesh
26	Shaileshbhai H. Himatbhai Kalathia	Surat	Gujarat

Note: The identities of the two foreign nationals from the UAE and one additional local resident have not been publicly disclosed.

Injured Victims

At least 20 individuals sustained injuries during the attack. The injured hailed from various regions, including Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Nepal. Injuries ranged from gunshot wounds to fractures and stress-related conditions.

National and International Reactions

Prime Minister Narendra Modi cut short his visit to Saudi Arabia to address the crisis, condemning the attack and vowing to bring the perpetrators to justice. Home Minister Amit Shah visited Srinagar to oversee the security response. The Indian government launched a large-scale manhunt for the attackers, with the National Investigation Agency initiating a probe into the incident.

International leaders, including U.S. President Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, condemned the attack and expressed solidarity with India.

Conclusion

The 2025 Pahalgam attack stands as a grim reminder of the persistent threats posed by militant groups in the region. As India mourns the loss of innocent lives, the nation remains resolute in its commitment to combating terrorism and ensuring the safety of its citizens and visitors.