Srinagar, April 22 (IANS) Five people, including three tourists, were injured in a terrorist attack in J&K’s Pahalgam hill station on Tuesday, official sources said. The terrorists fired at a group of tourists and locals in Baisran area of Pahalgam hill station in Anantnag district, the sources said. As per the sources, five persons, including three tourists and two locals, were injured in this attack and have been taken to the hospital. Security forces have reached the spot. Further details are awaited.

This is the first terrorist attack on tourists in the Kashmir Valley in 2025, even as a booming tourist season is presently going on in the Valley. All hotels in Srinagar city, and the tourist resorts of Pahalgam, Gulmarg and Sonamarg are fully occupied. An unprecedented number of tourists are expected in J&K this year and official projections forecast a number of around two crores tourists would visit the UT this year. Tuesday’s attack comes at a time when registration for this year’s Amarnath Yatra is going on across the country.

This year, the Yatra will commence on July 3 and conclude on August 9, coinciding with the Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan festivals, respectively. During his visit to J&K last month, Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a high-level security review meeting, where he gave orders for the complete eradication of terrorism with special focus on the Jammu division. He also gave directions to ensure zero tolerance to infiltration. 

The Union Home Secretary, the IB Director, the Army chief, the GoCs of all corps in J&K, the chiefs of paramilitary forces, the J&K DGP and intelligence officers attended the meeting. Lt Governor Manoj Sinha has been emphasising that the entire ecosystem of terrorism, including the terrorists, their overground workers (OGWs), and sympathisers, has to be tackled to completely rid J&K of the scourge of terrorism.

/IANS