Srinagar, April 22 - At least 12 tourists were injured in a terror attack in Pahalgam in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, police officials said.
The attack took place in the popular grassy valley, which can only be reached on foot or by horse. A group of tourists had gone there for a morning walk.
According to an eyewitness, unidentified gunmen opened fire on the tourists at close range, injuring several people. A woman who narrowly escaped the attack told PTI over phone, “My husband was shot in the head, while seven others were also injured in the attack.” The woman did not reveal her identity but requested help in taking the injured to the hospital.
Officials said a helicopter has been pressed into service to evacuate the injured and some were carried down the grassy plains by locals on their horses.
A doctor at Pahalgam Hospital said 12 injured tourists have been admitted there and all are in stable condition. Earlier, a senior police officer said here that security forces reached the Besran Maidan in Pahalgam after hearing gunshots.
The incident comes at a time when Kashmir is witnessing a surge in tourist arrivals after years of militancy. Besides, the 38-day Amarnath Yatra is also set to begin on July 3. Lakhs of pilgrims from across the country travel to the cave shrine via two routes – the traditional 48-km Pahalgam route in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district and the shorter 14-km but steep Baltal route in Ganderbal district.