Script:
A devastating terror attack shook Kashmir’s Pahalgam region on Tuesday afternoon, leaving 26 people dead—most of them tourists—and several others critically injured. The strike, which took place at the popular meadow of Baisaran, comes amid heightened security during US Vice President J.D. Vance’s visit to India.

Visuals from the aftermath show security forces in full deployment, with helicopters hovering overhead and military vehicles moving into position as combing operations began in the dense pine forests surrounding the area.

Officials confirmed the casualties included two foreign nationals and two locals. This is the deadliest civilian-targeted attack in the region since the 2019 Pulwama bombing.

Eyewitnesses said armed terrorists stormed the meadow—often dubbed ‘mini Switzerland’—and opened indiscriminate fire on tourists enjoying pony rides and picnics. At least 20 others were wounded in the ambush.

The Resistance Front (TRF), a shadow outfit of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, has claimed responsibility. Intelligence inputs suggest the assailants may have crossed over from Kishtwar via Kokernag to carry out the planned strike.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah called the attack “much larger than anything we’ve seen directed at civilians in recent years.”

Union Home Minister Amit Shah immediately briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi—currently on an official trip to Saudi Arabia—and has rushed to Srinagar to chair a high-level security review meeting.

The incident has cast a shadow over Kashmir’s peak tourist season and sparked fresh concerns about security in the Valley.