New Delhi: Global condolences followed a horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam, a prime tourist location in Jammu and Kashmir, on Tuesday, which claimed at least 26 lives and left many injured.
While Prime Minister Narendra Modi has cut short his 2-day visit to Saudi Arabia and is back in Delhi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited Baisaran meadows, the site of the terror attack, on Wednesday morning after laying wreaths for the victims at the Police Control Room in Srinagar.
But why did the terrorists choose Baisaran Valley to mount the targeted attack? Here are some plausible reasons:
Remote Location, Lack Of Security Forces
Preliminary probe reveals that terrorists targeted Baisaran Valley because of its geography. Situated 6.5 km from Pahalgam in South Kashmir, Baisaran is reachable only by pony or foot, with a dirt track linking it to Pahalgam’s main town. Authorities believe the valley’s remote location and the time it takes for security forces (almost 30 minutes) to arrive made it an attractive target for terrorists, which also meant that rescue efforts would be delayed, further increasing the potential for casualties.
The attack was meticulously planned to trap victims and maximise casualties, the India Today reported, quoting top sources.
The surrounding Pine forests also offered an easy escape route. A survivor said that by the time police arrived on the site, all the terrorists had vanished into the nearby forest.
Timing It With Visit Of Top US Dignitary
Tuesday’s ghastly attack on tourists came at a time when US Vice President J D Vance is on a four-day visit to India.
This is being seen as an attempt to draw global attention to what the terrorist organisations would like to project as a fight for freedom in J&K amid the growing perception about the stabilisation of the situation following the revocation of special status.
However, this is not the first instance when when India reported a terrorist attack during or just before the visit of a top US dignitary. The attack brings back memories of Chittisinghpura massacre 25 years ago during the then-US President Bill Clinton’s visit to India. On the night of March 20, 2000, terrorists massacred 36 Sikh villagers in Chittisinghpora village in the Anantnag district of J&K a day before Clinton’s scheduled trip to India.
On May 14, 2002, three terrorists attacked a Himachal Pradesh Road Transport Corporation bus from Manali to Jammu near Kaluchak and killed seven people. They then entered the family quarters of the Army and fired indiscriminately, killing 23 people, including 10 children, eight women and five Army personnel. This was when US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs Christina B Rocca was visiting India.
To Show Militancy Still Active In J&K
The Resistance Front (TRF), a front of the Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility for the attack in a social media message.
The targeted killing of tourists was a symbolic blow to the return of normalcy in the Valley, besides India’s religious fabric. Reports indicate that the victims were segregated, and asked for their religious identity before being shot dead before their families and loved ones.
This came amid a noticeable decline in terrorist incidents in Jammu and Kashmir in the last 5 years.
The union territory witnessed a 66 per cent decline in terrorist incidents and an 81 per cent drop in civilian killings since the scrapping of Article 370, Shah had earlier told the media.
He also mentioned the drop in organised stone-throwing protests from 2,654 in 2010 to zero in 2023.
Attempt To Cripple J&K Economy
The dip in terrorist attacks in Kashmir facilitated a resurgence in tourism and even encouraged residents in remote areas to convert their homes into guesthouses.
The Valley saw a significant rise in visitor inflow over the last three years. A total of 34.98 lakh tourists visited the Himalayan valley in 2024, 31.55 lakh in 2023 and 26.73 lakh in 2022.
The stakeholders were expecting two to three times more tourists this year with the number having already reached 6 lakh, marking a strong start to the tourism season, according to reports.
By targeting tourists, the terrorists not only amplified terror but also attempted to cripple the tourism-dependent economy of Jammu and Kashmir. Tourism is a Rs 12,000 crore industry in J&K.
Many also believe that the terror strike was aimed at creating a fear psychosis ahead of Amarnath Yatra, which is scheduled to begin on July 3. Pahalgam is the traditional route of the annual pilgrimage.
The Yatra had seen a record gathering of pilgrims last year.
Authorities in the state agree that tourism for the year is gone for good. As J&K People’s Conference leader Sajjad Lone has rightfully pointed out, the terrorists do not care for the Kashmiris, their children or their future.
Pak Army Chief’s Communal Speech
Pakistan Army chief General Asim Munir’s recent “Jugular Vein” speech went viral again after the Pahalgam terror attack.
“Our forefathers thought we were different from Hindus in every possible aspect of life. Our religion is different, our customs are different, our traditions are different, our thoughts are different, our ambitions are different. That’s where the foundation of the two-nation theory was laid. We are two nations, we are not one nation,” he said while addressing the Overseas Pakistanis Convention in Islamabad on April 16.
“Our stance is absolutely clear, it was our jugular vein, it will be our jugular vein, we will not forget it. We will not leave our Kashmiri brothers in their heroic struggle,” he added.
News reports, quoting sources, claimed that the comments might have given a push to the militants.
Notably, intelligence agencies had sent out an alert a few days ago that a terror group was planning an attack on “non-locals”, but the details were not clear, a source told The Indian Express.