Tourists Flee Kashmir As 26 Killed In Pahalgam Attack, Shah Stresses 'Bharat Will Not Bend To Terror': Updates

Terrorists on Tuesday afternoon opened fire at a popular tourist spot in Baisaran near Kashmir's Pahalgam, claiming at least 26 lives, including two locals and two foreigners.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah pays his last respects to 26 people killed in the Pahalgam terror attack, in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir.

Source : PTI

Thousands of tourists have begun fleeing Kashmir following the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam on Tuesday afternoon that killed 26 people, mostly tourists. Several parts of the Union Territory observed a complete shutdown on Wednesday to protest against the terror attack in Pahalgam.

The attack sparked high-level reactions across India and the world, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi cutting short his Saudi Arabia visit to return to Delhi and Amit Shah departing immediately to J&K to oversee the situation and take immediate action.

Terrorists on Tuesday afternoon opened fire at a popular tourist spot in Baisaran near Kashmir's Pahalgam, claiming at least 26 lives, including two locals and two foreigners. The security forces have released sketches of three terrorists who are suspected to have carried out the Pahalgam attack.  

Here's what has happened so far:

• Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said that it was heartbreaking to see the exodus of tourists, adding that the government was ensuring the safe return of the tourists. He said the administration has been directed to facilitate traffic between Srinagar and Jammu allowing tourist vehicles to leave.
  
  "It's heartbreaking to see the exodus of our guests from the valley after yesterday's tragic terror attack in Pahalgam but at the same time we totally understand why people would want to leave. While DGCA & the Ministry of Civil Aviation are working to organise extra flights, NH-44 between Srinagar & Jammu has been reconnected for traffic in a single direction," Abdullah posted on X.
  
  
• A team of National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials has arrived in Srinagar to investigate the Pahalgam terror attack.
  
  
• Amidst the current situation, Air India and IndiGo announced operation of a total of four additional flights from Srinagar to Delhi and Mumbai on Wednesday. The airlines have also waived ticket rescheduling and cancellation charges.
  
  
• Meanwhile, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu held an urgent meeting with all airline operators. A strong advisory was issued against surge pricing on the Srinagar route. "Airlines have been directed to maintain regular fare levels, ensuring that no passenger is burdened during this sensitive time," an official release said on Wednesday.
  
  
• The suspected men whose sketches have been released are all Pakistanis. They have been identified as Asif Fauji, Suleman Shah, and Abu Talha. 
  
  
• The Resistance Front (TRF), a shadow outfit of the banned Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba terror group, claimed responsibility for the terror attack on Tuesday afternoon. 
  
  
• Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Wednesday said that Pakistan has no connection with the Pahalgam terror attack, blaming India for the unrest.
  
  
•  Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited Baisaran meadows, the scene of the  terror attack on Wednesday. He also chaired a security review meeting, which was also attended by the Lieutenant Governor. Later, he also met the families of the attack victims and survivors.
  
  
• J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also paid their tributes to the victims.
  
  
• After laying wreaths on the victims' bodies, Shah asserted that the the country will not bend to terror and that those responsible for the killing of tourists at Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir will not be spared. "Bharat will not bend to terror. The culprits of this dastardly terror attack will not be spared," he said.
  
  
• The deadly attack sparked protests in several parts of Jammu city, with many protesters raising anti-Pakistan slogans. Besides the Jammu city, a shutdown was observed in Reasi, Udhampur, Katra, Kathua, and Samba. 
  
  
• The bandh brought Jammu to a halt, with shops and business establishments closed, and public transport off the roads in response to the shutdown call by civil society groups and trade bodies.
  
  
• Several educational institutions were also closed and government offices recorded lower than attendance. The Jammu Bar Association also observed shut down against the killings. Additonally, several organisations, including the Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Transporters Association, Jammu Bar Association, and the Congress, called for a complete shutdown in Jammu, news agency PTI reported.
  
  
• PM Modi had held a briefing meeting with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar at the Delhi airport upon his arrival from Saudi Arabia.
  
  
• US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were among world leaders who condemned the terror attack.

Sketches Of Three Pahalgam Terror Attack Suspects Released

Pakistan On High Alert After Pahalgam Attack, Ex-High Commissioner To India Warns Of Retaliation