SRINAGAR: A serene spring afternoon in Kashmir’s famed Baisaran valley turned into a bloodbath on Tuesday when heavily armed militants opened fire on tourists, killing 26 people and injuring more than 20 in one of the deadliest civilian attacks in the Valley since the 2019 Pulwama bombing.

The picturesque meadow, often dubbed “mini Switzerland” and nestled about six kilometres above the popular resort town of Pahalgam, witnessed horror and heartbreak around 3 PM as gunmen descended from pine-covered ridges and opened indiscriminate fire on unarmed tourists picnicking and taking pony rides.

While the official death toll is still being finalised, senior government sources confirmed to The Hindu and other national media outlets that 26 people, including two foreign nationals and one local Kashmiri, have lost their lives.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, visibly shaken, called the incident “an abomination” and said it was “much larger than anything we’ve seen directed at civilians in recent years.” In a post on X, Abdullah said, “The perpetrators of this attack are animals, inhuman and worthy of contempt. No words of condemnation are enough.”