In a severe and a cowardly terror attack in Pahalgam (Jammu & Kashmir), at least 28 civilians lost their lives in a brutal terror attack at Baisaran in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Tuesday. The attack occurred in the Baisaran valley in Pahalgam, where a group of tourists had ventured earlier on Tuesday. Families of victims collapsed in tears in front of Home Minister Amit Shah, under heart-wrenching visuals.

In response, Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly condemned the assault, vowing justice for the victims. “Those behind this heinous act will be brought to justice and will not be spared,” he said. Cutting short his visit to Saudi Arabia, PM Modi returned to Delhi on Wednesday morning and chaired a high-level review meeting at the airport with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.

India thanks World Leaders for Support on Pahalgam attack

Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked US President Donald Trump for his support in the wake of the terror attack that rocked Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on Tuesday. PM Modi thanked all for the support they extended following the Pahalgam terror attacks that killed 26 people. PM Modi said India is determined to bring perpetrators and backers of this "cowardly and heinous terrorist attack" to justice.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump had called PM Modi to offer condolences for the victims of the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam. Trump said that the United States stands with India in its fight against terrorism and offered all possible support.

In a post on X, the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, stated, "President Donald Trump @realDonaldTrump @POTUS called PM @narendramodi and conveyed his deepest condolences at the loss of innocent lives in the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir."

"President Trump strongly condemned the terror attack and expressed full support to India to bring to justice the perpetrators of this heinous attack. India and the United States stand together in the fight against terror," Jaiswal added.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also said in a post on X that the United States stands with India. His statement came in response to the post shared by the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs in the US State Department on the Pahalgam terror attack, which said, "The United States strongly condemns the terrorist attack in Kashmir. Nothing can justify such a heinous act, killing tourists and civilians."

The Resistance Front, believed to be a proxy of the banned Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), has reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack, though an official confirmation from the government is still awaited. It is also being considered that the terrorists from Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba's attack group The Resistance Front (TRF) must have chosen it for the following reasons:

• LeT top commander orchestrated Pahalgam terror attack: Sources
• The timing of the Pahalgam terror attack was deliberate
• Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on a state visit to Saudi Arabia at the time of the attack.
• Some of the terrorists reportedly told a survivor to 'go tell this to Modi.'
• US Vice President JD Vance was on a visit to India, and the terrorists wanted to send a message to America too.
• From Uri to Balakot: How India has struck back at Pakistan in response to terrorists’ attacks
• The Amarnath pilgrimage was just weeks away, so it was a way of trying to scare off Hindu pilgrims.
• April is the peak tourist season in Pahalgam, and the terrorists hoped to inflict maximum damage.
• Pahalgam attack happened just ahead of Amarnath Yatra

The attack happened just a few days ahead of the Hindu pilgrimage Amarnath yatra, the registration for which started just eight days ago. The Amarnath Yatra, set to begin on July 2 and conclude on August 9, is conducted from the Pahalgam and Baltal routes. Chandan wari, some 16 kilometres from Pahalgam, is the starting point of the annual yatra, which is taken part by tens of thousands of Hindu devotees.

The Pahalgam attack, the deadliest in Jammu and Kashmir since the 2019 Pulwama bombing targeting security personnel, was aimed at what the terrorists claimed was demographic changes in Kashmir Valley.

In a rather odd message, they claimed that people from the rest of India visit Pahalgam in the guise of tourists and take the land. This is as outlandish a claim as it could get.

In its first response, Pakistan denied any involvement in the terror attack. Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said, distancing Islamabad from the bloodshed, that the violence was "home-grown" and framing it as part of a broader rebellion against India. He said, "We have absolutely nothing to do with it. We reject terrorism in all its forms and everywhere."

Pahalgam, the village of shepherds

Pahalgam literally means the village of shepherds, which is formed from the two Kashmiri words 'Puheyl' for shepherd and 'goam' for village.

It has many meadows, pastures and traditional grazing grounds where shepherds like the Bakharwal people herd their cattle. Pahalgam, the 'Mini Switzerland' attracting tourists from across the globe Located near Anantnag city in the Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir, Pahalgam hosts thousands of tourists every year, who visit to marvel at the hill station's green meadows and pristine rivers.

Situated on the banks of Lidder River, Pahalgam reportedly attracts some 70 per cent of visitors to the Kashmir valley, due to its tourist potential as well as for being the base camp for Amarnath yatra. This is why the terrorists chose the area for the attack.

Baisaran Valley, where the attack happened, is a tourist destination in Pahalgam known as the 'Mini-Switzerland'. It is a meadow flanked by mountains, showered in white snow, and forests populated by pine trees. The best tourist season in Pahalgam runs from January to April, which explains why the attack happened on bright April day.

Pahalgam in Hindu mythology

The land blessed by Lord Shiva's feet. Hindu mythology names Pahalgam as 'Bail Gaon' of village of the bull. Here, the reference is to the sacred bull Nandi, the vehicle of Lord Shiva. It is the place where Lord Shiva left Nandi, before entering Amarnath Cave to meditate.

The Amarnath cave is near Pahalgam, located at an altitude of 3,888 metres. Lord Shiva gave the 'Amrit Vachan', the secret to immortality, to his consort Parvati in Pahalgam, according to Hindu mythology. The Amarnath cave is the final destination of Amarnath Yatra pilgrims. Many of them set up base camps in Pahalgam, before doing the trek to Amarnath cave temple either by foot or on mules.