The picturesque hill station of Pahalgam in South Kashmir was the site of a gruesome terror attack on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. At least 26 people were killed and dozens injured in what has become the deadliest strike on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, has been identified as the perpetrator of the massacre.
The attack unfolded just as U.S. Vice President JD Vance was on a diplomatic trip to India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was visiting Saudi Arabia. This marks a chilling escalation of violence in the Union Territory amid heightened government efforts to clamp down on terrorism.
Government Response
Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressed deep sorrow over the attack in a post on social media platform X. He reiterated the government’s resolve to eliminate terrorism from Jammu and Kashmir. "Anguished by the terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. My thoughts are with the family members of the deceased. Those involved in this dastardly act of terror will not be spared, and we will come down heavily on the perpetrators with the harshest consequences," Shah said. He later departed for Srinagar to take stock of the situation.
Deadliest Attack on Tourists in Recent Times
This massacre is the biggest one targeting tourists in 2025 and comes at a time when the region was showing signs of returning to normalcy. The incident has rekindled fears from Kashmir's past, marred by deadly attacks over the past two and a half decades.
Major Terror Attacks in Jammu and Kashmir Since 2000
Below is a chronological timeline of the most devastating terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir since the year 2000:
2000
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March 21: 36 Sikhs were killed in Chattisinghpora village, Anantnag district, on the eve of U.S. President Bill Clinton’s visit to India.
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August 2: 32 people, including 24 Amarnath pilgrims, were killed in a terrorist attack on the Nunwan base camp in Pahalgam.
2001
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July: 13 people (including 8 Hindu pilgrims, 3 Muslim civilians, and 2 security personnel) were killed in a twin IED blast near Sheshnag Lake during the Amarnath Yatra.
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October 1: A Jaish-e-Mohammed suicide bomber detonated an explosive-laden vehicle at the Jammu and Kashmir State Legislature Complex in Srinagar, killing 36 and injuring dozens.
2002
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May (Kaluchak Massacre): Militants entered an army camp in Kaluchak and killed 36 people, mostly women and children.
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Chandanwari Attack: 11 pilgrims killed during Amarnath Yatra.
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November 23: An IED blast at Lower Munda, South Kashmir, killed 19 people, including nine security force personnel, three women, and two children.
2003
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March 23: 24 Kashmiri Pandits were massacred in Nadimarg village, Pulwama. The attackers, disguised as soldiers, shot men, women, and children after forcing them out of their homes.
2005
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June 13: A car bomb exploded outside a government school in Pulwama, killing 13 civilians (including 2 school children) and 3 CRPF officers, and injuring over 100.
2006
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April 14: A grenade attack killed 5 and injured 44 across Jammu and Kashmir.
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July 11: Five grenade attacks in Srinagar left 8 dead and over 40 injured.
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June 12: Militants opened fire at a group of laborers in Kulgam, killing 9 Nepali and Bihari workers and one Muslim Kashmiri soldier.
2016
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September 18: Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists attacked the Indian Army brigade headquarters in Uri, killing 19 soldiers and injuring 30 others.
2017
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July 10: A Lashkar-e-Taiba attack on an Amarnath Yatra bus in Anantnag killed 8 Hindu pilgrims from Gujarat and injured 18 others.
2019
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February 14 (Pulwama Attack): A suicide bomber drove a car loaded with 300 kg of explosives into a CRPF convoy on the Jammu-Srinagar Highway in Lethapora. 40 soldiers were killed, and 35 injured.
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February 26: India responded with an airstrike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp in Balakot, Pakistan, marking a significant military escalation between the two countries.
2022
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Three migrant workers from Bihar were shot by terrorists. Two died. The incident triggered massive unrest and an exodus of workers from the Valley.
2024
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June 9: On the day of PM Modi’s third-term swearing-in, unidentified terrorists attacked a pilgrim bus in Reasi, Jammu region, killing 10 and injuring 33.
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October: A doctor and six migrant workers were killed at a construction site in Ganderbal. TRF claimed responsibility.
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Other incidents: One migrant worker from Punjab and another from Bihar were shot dead in separate attacks in Srinagar and Anantnag, respectively.
2025
- Pahalgam Revisited by Terror: The April 22 attack in Pahalgam once again highlights the vulnerability of civilians and tourists in Kashmir. As TRF continues to spread terror, the government faces renewed pressure to ensure security and stability in the region.
A Persistent Pattern: Targeting Civilians and Pilgrims
Throughout the timeline, terrorists have frequently targeted vulnerable groups:
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Amarnath Yatra: A repeated target in 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2017.
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Minorities: Sikhs in 2000, Kashmiri Pandits in 2003, and Hindu pilgrims in multiple incidents.
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Migrant Workers: Increasingly targeted in recent years, prompting mass exits from the region.
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Security Forces: Routinely attacked, with some of the deadliest instances occurring in 2001 (Legislative Assembly), 2016 (Uri), and 2019 (Pulwama).
Despite consistent efforts and temporary lulls in violence, the tragic events in Pahalgam serve as a grim reminder that terrorism remains an ongoing threat in Kashmir. The cycle of attacks on civilians, tourists, security personnel, and migrant workers indicates the need for comprehensive and long-term counter-terrorism strategies. Peace in the Valley, often called 'Paradise on Earth', remains fragile and elusive.
With inputs from agencies
Image Source: Multiple agencies
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