On April 22, 2025, a terror attack took place at Baisaran meadow near Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, where four to six militants opened fire on a group of tourists. The assailants, dressed in military-style uniforms, targeted civilians enjoying the scenic spot, killing at least 26 people, including two foreign nationals, and injuring many others. Most victims were Indian tourists from various states, while the foreign casualties included one Emirati and one Nepali. The attackers reportedly checked the identities of the victims, asking them to recite the Islamic Kalima and verifying circumcision to distinguish Muslims from non-Muslims, sparing the former and targeting the latter. The attack was marked by brutal close-range shootings, predominantly targeting men, while sparing most women, some of whom were told to witness the violence and relay the horrors. Security forces responded swiftly, evacuating the injured by local means and helicopters to hospitals in Srinagar and Anantnag. The Resistance Front, an offshoot of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility for the assault, which is considered the deadliest attack on civilians in Kashmir since the revocation of the region’s special status.

The attack shocked the region, which had seen a rise in tourism in recent years, and prompted strong condemnation from Indian leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, who traveled to the area to oversee the response. The incident has heightened security concerns ahead of the upcoming Amarnath pilgrimage season and intensified efforts to combat militancy in Jammu and Kashmir.