The Massacre in Baisaran Valley: April 22, 2025 Kashmir Tourist Attack - In-Depth Report
Introduction
On April 22, 2025, the tranquil meadows of Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir were shattered by one of the deadliest attacks on civilians in the region’s recent history. Multiple gunmen, emerging from the dense pine forests, opened fire on hundreds of tourists, killing at least 26 and injuring more than 20. The attackers, described as heavily armed and operating with chilling precision, escaped into the wilderness, triggering a massive manhunt and plunging the region into renewed turmoil.
This attack, the worst targeting civilians in Kashmir since the 2008 Mumbai attacks, has sent shockwaves across India and beyond. It has reignited fears of a return to large-scale violence in a region that had seen a tentative revival of tourism and relative calm after years of insurgency. The massacre has also sharply escalated tensions between India and Pakistan, both nuclear-armed neighbors who claim the territory in its entirety, and has raised urgent questions about security, communal harmony, and the future of Kashmir.
