At least 26 people were killed and 10 others injured in a deadly shooting incident on Sunday at the tourist hotspot of Pahalgam in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), according to Indian media reports. The victims were mostly tourists from the Indian states of Gujarat and Karnataka. The injured were immediately shifted to nearby medical facilities for treatment.
Reports suggest the assailants, allegedly dressed in police uniforms, opened indiscriminate fire on tourist vehicles before fleeing the scene. Initial estimates indicate that two to three attackers were involved. Indian security forces swiftly cordoned off the area and launched a large-scale search operation.
Chief Minister of the region, Omar Abdullah, condemned the attack, calling it one of the deadliest incidents in the valley in recent years. “We are trying to ascertain the exact number of casualties and injuries,” he stated.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reportedly spoke to Home Minister Amit Shah via telephone, urging swift action. Following the call, Shah departed for Srinagar to assess the situation firsthand and is expected to chair an emergency security review meeting with intelligence and law enforcement agencies.
Following the attack, Indian media outlets and intelligence-linked social media accounts quickly began speculating about Pakistan’s alleged involvement—despite no evidence being presented. Analysts have criticized the immediate blame game as part of a larger pattern of false flag operations historically carried out in the region.
Observers note that India has a documented history of using such incidents for political mileage, particularly during sensitive times. The 2019 Pulwama incident, which led to heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, was later revealed by former officials to have been manipulated to serve domestic political objectives.
Security analysts warn that, with rising internal challenges and upcoming elections, more such operations cannot be ruled out. “Modi has repeatedly used high-profile attacks to divert attention from internal governance failures,” one analyst noted. “This could be another chapter in the same playbook.”
So far, no group has officially claimed responsibility for the attack.
