Pahalgam terror attack: Kashmir’s dark day reopens old wounds

India is a nation in mourning. At least 26 innocent civilians have been gunned down in Kashmir in broad daylight. This dastardly terror attack has few parallels. Reports say four to six armed men descended from the nearby forests on to the Baisaran meadow and fired at unsuspecting men in the popular tourist hill town of Pahalgam. The valley, in happier times called ‘mini-Switzerland’, is accessible only on foot or by horse-back and tourists were relaxing in the afternoon sunlight. It will be a long, long time before these blood stains in the valley fade.

After terrorists fired indiscriminately – dressed in camouflage and kurta pyjamas – helicopters were pressed into service to evacuate those injured. It is believed that at least two of the militants were locals who had returned to the valley recently after receiving training outside. A final assessment on casualties is awaited but what we know is enough to numb the senses. Tourists from across the country have been thronging to Pahalgam of late and especially in the summer.