Modi speaks at BJP HQ. (Photo: Prakash Singh/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
SRINAGAR, INDIA – Indian security forces, directed by Prime Minister Modi, have launched a sweeping manhunt in Kashmir after a mass shooting killed 26 civilians.
The incident marked the deadliest attack on non-combatants in the disputed territory since the year 2000.
According to police-verified records from a local hospital, all the deceased were men and had been visiting a popular tourist destination when armed assailants emerged from a nearby forest and opened fire using automatic weapons.
The sudden and brutal ambush occurred on Tuesday afternoon and left crowds scrambling for safety amid gunfire.
Kashmir Shooting Prompts High-Alert Search in Mountain Forests
Ambulances carrying the bodies of the victims arrived in Srinagar by Wednesday morning, while military helicopters patrolled the surrounding mountainous terrain in search of the attackers. Security forces have sealed off parts of the area and are combing the forest flanks believed to be the gunmen’s escape route.
Police sources confirmed that 25 of the dead were Indian nationals hailing from various parts of the country. One additional victim was identified as a Nepalese citizen. The identities of the shooters have not yet been disclosed, and no group has officially claimed responsibility for the assault.
Foreign Tourist Among Victims in Kashmir Gunmen Assault
The scale and method of the attack have sent shockwaves across India, where officials are treating the incident as a high-priority national security emergency.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who cut short an official visit to Saudi Arabia upon hearing of the killings, condemned the act as “heinous” and vowed that the perpetrators “will be brought to justice.”
Authorities have increased troop deployments across major towns in Kashmir and are maintaining heightened surveillance across both urban and forested zones.
Intelligence agencies have also been tasked with tracing any prior communications or movements that could indicate how the gunmen infiltrated the area undetected.
Witnesses described scenes of chaos, with tourists running for cover and many left wounded or disoriented amid the gunfire.
Several survivors were rushed to nearby hospitals, and psychological support teams have been deployed to aid grieving families.
This latest escalation threatens to derail the fragile peace efforts in a region long plagued by insurgency, territorial disputes, and periodic violence. Security analysts warn that the targeting of civilians, particularly non-local tourists, may be an attempt to undermine tourism—a sector that has only recently begun to revive in the region.
