1 tourist killed, 6 injured in terrorist attack in J&K
What's the story
A tourist has been killed, while six others sustained injuries in a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, a popular tourist spot in Jammu and Kashmir, on Tuesday.
Per reports, the attackers fired at the upper meadows of Baisaran Valley, which can be reached only by foot or horseback.
The terrorists were reportedly camouflaged, indicating a planned assault.
Security forces and medical teams have been sent to the area but are struggling due to difficult terrain.
Rescue efforts
Injured tourists transported to hospital
Videos from the site showed several of them shaken by the brutal attack.
Among the victims were women and elderly people.
"My husband was shot in the head while seven others were also injured in the attack," a woman survivor told PTI over the phone.
The attack came during Pahalgam's peak tourist season, just as registration for this year's Amarnath Yatra pilgrimage was ongoing.
The pilgrimage is set to begin on July 3.
Official response
Officials condemn attack on tourists
J&K Health Minister Sakina Masood Itoo has condemned the attack, saying, "Tourism brings business and revenue to our people. It is really unfortunate that tourists were attacked. These kinds of attacks repel tourists."
Union Home Minister Amit Shah had recently held a high-level security review meeting in J&K, where he ordered the complete eradication of terrorism with special focus on the Jammu division.