New Delhi, Apr. 22, (dpa/GNA) – More than 20 people were killed when a group of suspected extremists opened fire on tourists in the volatile Indian region of Kashmir, according to officials.
Indian Interior Minister Amit Shah described the attack as a “dastardly act of terror,” without providing information on the perpetrators.
The attackers opened fire on tourists in a popular tourist area near the town of Pahalgam, killing 26 people, according to reports by Indian broadcaster NDTV and the newspaper Greater Kashmir, citing officials.
Most of the fatalities were tourists. Several people were also injured. There was no official confirmation of the death toll.
The context of the situation was initially unclear and no group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack.
NDTV had earlier reported at least one person was killed and six people injured in the attack.
Other local outlets earlier said it was likely that several people were killed.
According to Greater Kashmir newspaper online, a group calling itself The Resistance Front (TRF) claimed responsibility for the attack.
Expressing his shock in a post on X, Omar Abdullah, chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, condemned the attack on tourists as “an abomination.”
According to media reports, security forces assumed that this was a targeted attack on tourists.
Kashmir is a contested region spanning India, Pakistan and China.
Extremist groups have been active in the Indian-administered part for years challenging the country’s sovereignty over the region.
GNA
PDC