The eyewitness accounts from the Pahalgam attack in April 2025 paint a harrowing picture of a meticulously planned massacre that specifically targeted tourists, with a chilling focus on religious identity. Survivors’ stories, shared through interviews and social media, provide a direct and personal perspective on the terror that unfolded.
The Chilling Sequence of Events
Accounts from survivors consistently describe a sudden and brutal assault that shattered the tranquility of the Baisaran Valley, a picturesque tourist spot.
Initial Calm and Suspicion: Some tourists, like Jennifer from Indore, noted the presence of men in traditional attire who appeared to be conducting a “recce” or scouting the area. She and her family were enjoying the scenery when she became suspicious of a man who was “circling around, not taking pictures like the other tourists.”
Targeted Violence: The most horrifying and consistent detail across multiple eyewitness accounts is the deliberate targeting of non-Muslims. Survivors described the militants, who were dressed in military fatigues, separating victims by their religion.
A woman from Karnataka witnessed her husband, Manjunath Rao, being shot after he was asked to reveal his religion. She recounted that when she confronted the attacker, he chillingly told her, “Nahin marenge. Tum Modi ko jaake bolo” (We will not kill you. Go and tell Modi).
The wife of another victim from Andhra Pradesh told officials that the terrorists asked “Hindu hai, muslim hai?” (Are you Hindu, are you Muslim?) twice before shooting her husband when he did not respond.
The wife of Sushil Nathaniel from Indore said that her husband was asked to recite the Islamic kalima. When he identified himself as Christian, he was shot multiple times.
A newlywed tourist from Kanpur, Shubham Dwivedi, was reportedly the first to be killed after he and his wife were approached and asked their religion. He was shot at point-blank range after stating they were Hindus.
Acts of Bravery and Desperation
In the midst of the chaos, survivors and local guides took desperate measures to save themselves and others.
Hiding and Escaping: A tourist named Prasanna Kumar Bhat recounted how his brother, an Indian Army officer, quickly assessed the situation and guided their family and about 35-40 other tourists to safety. They ran in the opposite direction from the main gate, found a narrow opening in a fence, and slid down a slippery slope to hide in a narrow pit under trees.
Local Heroism: The accounts also highlighted the bravery of local Kashmiris. A Muslim pony-wallah, Syed Adil Hussain Shah, was killed while reportedly trying to protect the tourists and wrestle a gun from one of the attackers. Another account from a survivor mentions that pony-wallahs hid her son behind animals to save him.
The Aftermath
The survivors’ accounts also describe the immediate aftermath of the attack and the lasting trauma.
Confusion and Trauma: A viral video showed a traumatized woman begging soldiers not to hurt her child, initially mistaking them for the attackers due to their military-style clothing. The soldiers had to reassure her that they were the Indian Army and were there to protect them.
Lingering Fear: The accounts underscore the deep psychological impact of the attack. Many tourists cut their trips short and immediately returned home. One survivor, Prasanna Kumar Bhat, wrote on social media, “The gun shots still echo in our ears and the terror still makes my gut wrench. This will leave a permanent scar, a memory that cannot be erased of what Kashmir’s beauty hides underneath.”
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