Omar Abdullah Condemns Pahalgam Terror Attack, Calls Assault on Tourists ‘An Abomination’
Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah condemned Tuesday’s deadly attack on tourists in Pahalgam, calling it “inhuman” and “an abomination,” as 12 were injured in a firing by terrorists.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday strongly denounced the terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam, calling it the “worst kind of inhuman act” in recent memory. “This attack on our visitors is an abomination. The perpetrators are animals, inhuman and worthy of contempt,” Abdullah said in a post on X.
He added, “No words of condemnation are enough.” The chief minister said he was cutting short his schedule to return to Srinagar immediately.
Abdullah also confirmed that senior party colleague Sakina Itoo had been dispatched to the hospital to coordinate relief efforts for the injured.
Twelve people were reportedly injured after unidentified gunmen opened fire on a group of tourists in the Baisaran area of Pahalgam, a popular tourist spot. The attack took place Tuesday afternoon in a high-altitude meadow only accessible by foot or ponies.
Security forces responded swiftly after the sound of gunfire, launching an evacuation operation. Choppers were deployed to rescue the injured, and several locals assisted by ferrying victims on ponies to safer locations.
Disturbing visuals from the scene showed bloodied tourists lying on the ground, as crying family members pleaded for help. “Save my husband, please,” one woman was heard shouting in a video that surfaced online.
Another survivor said she was eating bhelpuri when a gunman walked up to her husband, declared that he wasn’t a Muslim, and opened fire.
The Baisaran attack follows a pattern of rising civilian-targeted assaults in Jammu and Kashmir, marking one of the deadliest incidents in recent years involving tourists. The Resistance Front (TRF), a Lashkar-e-Taiba offshoot, has claimed responsibility for the attack.
The Chief Minister has ordered an immediate inquiry into the attack and promised enhanced security at all tourist sites. “The death toll is still being ascertained and will be officially conveyed as the situation becomes clearer,” Abdullah said.
The government has also appealed to tourists to remain calm and cooperate with security forces as operations continue in the area.
