Gunmen shot and killed at least 26 tourists on Tuesday at a resort in Indian-controlled Kashmir, police said. The attack appeared to be a major shift in a regional conflict in which tourists have largely been spared, the AP reports. Police said it was a "terror attack" and blamed militants fighting against Indian rule. "This attack is much larger than anything we've seen directed at civilians in recent years," said Omar Abdullah, the region's top elected official. Two senior police officers said at least four gunmen, whom they described as militants, fired at dozens of tourists from close range. The officers said at least three dozen people were wounded, many of them reported to be in serious condition.
Most of the tourists killed were Indian, police said. Officials collected at least 24 bodies in Baisaran meadow, some 3 miles from the disputed region's resort town of Pahalgam. Two others died while being taken for medical treatment. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Police and soldiers were searching for the attackers. The picturesque area is known as the "Switzerland of India," the BBC reports. The meadow where the attack took place is a popular destination, surrounded by snow-capped mountains and dotted with pine forests. It is visited by hundreds of tourists every day.
The gunfire coincided with Vice President JD Vance's visit to India. "Usha and I extend our condolences to the victims of the devastating terrorist attack," he said in a post on X. "Over the past few days, we have been overcome with the beauty of this country and its people." In a Truth Social post, President Trump said, "Deeply disturbing news out of Kashmir. The United States stands strong with India against Terrorism." In March 2000, at least 35 civilians were shot and killed in a southern village in Kashmir while then-President Bill Clinton was visiting India. (More Kashmir stories.)
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