Pahalgam Terrorist Attack: Terrorists mingle with crowds, attribute them to armed members who kill tourists in Baisaran

A chair sitting outside the temporary shop in Baisaran, Pahalgam, on April 22, 26 people were killed and several others were injured. Image source: Imran Nissar

Two terrorists had earlier mixed with tourists after opening fire on April 22 in Baisaran Meadow in Bahargan, southern Kashmir, attributed the frightened crowd to two other armed terrorists, a senior government official said on May 3, 2025 (May 3, 2025).

During the terrorist attack, 25 tourists and local pony operators were killed.

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The attack took place between two and three points within 50 meters of the entrance and exterior view of Baisaran, and so far, four men appear to be involved. The grassland is fenced in all aspects.

“Two terrorists knew the crowd would be dispersed after hearing gunfire, and they deliberately deported the people toward the armed terrorists,” the official said.

The official added that they received specific intelligence comments that Prime Minister Narendra Modi plans to launch the Katra-Sangaldan extension of Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla-Baramulla Rail Link in an April 19 “hotel” attack in Srinagar and Duckiham. Visitors were targeted at Baisaran after the Prime Minister canceled his visit due to bad weather.

“Before the April 22 terrorist attack, security agencies called many chats for a month. That's why senior police were stationed in Srinagar four to five days before the attack, and they also tried to base their information on the basis of the attack.”

The second official said the opinion was universal and the recommendation could be “security personnel deployed in hotels.”

The first official added that it took the Army an hour and a half to arrive at the scene while waiting for enough personnel. The second official explained that this was a tactical move to avoid collateral damage to security forces.

By the time of reinforcement, the terrorists fled to the forest and could only reach Baisaran on foot or pony.

On April 24, at a party-wide meeting, Home Secretary Amit Shah informed MPs that tourists were sent to Baisaran by nearby hotels without informing police. He said the place on the day of the incident did not exist safely and that the tourist location was usually provided before the start of the Amarnath Yatra. This year, the location is expected to be open for tourists on June 15, with Yatra starting on July 3, MPs were told.

However, the first official quoted above said that Baisaran Meadow is open all year round, except during the Amarnath pilgrimage. The tender for maintaining the tourist location was awarded to Bijbehara residents in August 2024 for Rs 3 crore, and there is no government order that it is a regulated area of ​​the Security Observation Department.

The official added that two locals from South Kashmir were said to have passed the Attari-Wagah integrated checkpoint in Punjab and were suspected of attacks in Pakistan in 2017-18. “We dug up data of people who went to Pakistan but did not return, and the names of these two Kashmiris were marked by the system, which led us to believe they could participate in terrorist attacks,” the official added.

The official said the houses of nine people in southern and northern Kashmir were blown up after the attack and were demolished.

“The reason in the Home Office is that bombing the houses of terrorists who left a few years ago has no purpose. This will only lead to emotional alienation and pouring out, and the spontaneous support we witnessed after the murder will be wasted if demolition is not stopped,” the official said.

The official explained the possibility of local support for terrorists, saying terrorists infiltrated from Pakistan depend on local people’s food and supplies.

“We have noticed that they broke into locked stores, picked up whatever they wanted, and left twice the cash and apologized for the inconvenience they might have caused them. However, the attacks by the Baisala people would not have happened without the help of local guides.”

He said the Gujjar-Bakkarwal community is the person who runs ponies in the area and is under investigation if they notice any outsiders a few days before the attack.