Prime Minister Narendra Modi dialled Union Home Minister Amit Shah from Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, April 22, to take an update on the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam area, where one tourist was killed and at least six others were injured. In a phone conversation, PM Modi asked Shah to visit the attack site and take all "suitable measures." The incident took place when terrorists opened fire at tourists today in the upper meadows of Pahalgam's Baisaran Valley, an area which can be reached only by walking or on horseback. Pahalgam is a popular tourist spot and draws thousands of visitors every summer.
"The perpetrators of this attack are animals, inhuman, and worthy of contempt. No words of condemnation are enough. I send my sympathies to the families of the deceased," Chief Minister Omar Abdullah posted on X, terming the attack an abomination and saying that he was "shocked."
"Needless to say, this attack is much larger than anything we've seen directed at civilians in recent years," he added.
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The attack comes ahead of the Amarnath Yatra, which is a peak tourist season in the Valley. The 38-day pilgrimage is set to begin from July 3, from two routes—the 48-km Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal district, which is shorter but steeper.