Modi summons ministers after 26 die in Kashmir attack

Santosh Kumar, Sudhi Ranjan Sen and Advait Palepu, Bloomberg News on Apr 23, 2025

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Gunmen killed as many as 26 people in the northern Indian region of Jammu and Kashmir, one of the worst attacks in years on civilians in the region that prompted Prime Minister Narendra Modi to cut short his trip to Saudi Arabia and summon an urgent meeting with his top ministers.

Local officials confirmed at least 16 dead, although people familiar with the matter said the death toll was about 25 to 26, with several others injured. The people asked not to be identified as the information isn’t public. The army and police have started a search operation to locate the attackers.

The gunmen started firing indiscriminately at tourists near the popular tourist destination of Pahalgam, about 90 kilometers (56 miles) east of Srinagar, Press Trust of India reported. Two foreigners were among those killed in the attack, it said. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack.

Modi returned to India, cutting short his two-day trip to Saudi Arabia, where he had earlier met with the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The prime minister condemned the attack and said those behind the act “will be brought to justice.”

He held a meeting with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar at the airport upon his arrival, PTI reported, citing officials it didn’t name. He is scheduled to chair a meeting of the Cabinet Committee of Security — India’s top security body comprising the defense, foreign, home and finance ministers — on Wednesday, during which the nation is expected to discuss how to react to the attack.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also announced plans to truncate her U.S. and Peru trip and take “the earliest available flight back to India.”

The Himalayan region of Jammu and Kashmir is heavily fortified with hundreds of thousands of troops deployed. The region is claimed in full by India and Pakistan but ruled in part by the two countries and is a source of constant friction between the nuclear armed South Asian neighbors.

While the region continues to see sporadic militant strikes, attacks on tourists are relatively rare. The last big assault occurred in February 2019, when a suicide bomber killed 40 members of India’s security forces. Jaish-e-Mohammed (Soldiers of Mohammed), a Pakistan-based jihadi group, claimed responsibility at the time, prompting India to respond with its first airstrikes on Pakistani soil since 1971, and resulting in an aerial dogfight.

Tuesday’s incident happened in the scenic town of Pahalgam, also known as “mini Switzerland,” a popular spot among tourists for its hills and meadows.

The attack came during U.S. Vice President JD Vance’s four-day visit to India, where he met Modi in New Delhi on Monday and was in Jaipur on Tuesday. He traveled to Agra on Wednesday for a stop at the Taj Mahal.

Vance described the attack as “horrific” in a post on X, while President Donald Trump pledged the U.S.’s “full support and deepest sympathies” to Modi and the Indian people. According to Indian government officials, Trump also called Modi and again offered to stand with the country in its fight against terrorism. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

On Wednesday, Pakistan’s foreign affairs ministry said it is “concerned at the loss of tourists’ lives” in the attack and extended condolences to the near ones of the deceased. Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif told a local television channel the country has no link to the attack and doesn’t support terrorism in any form.

Rahul Gandhi, India’s main opposition leader, said the country is united against terrorism and called on the government to take concrete steps to prevent such incidents rather than making hollow claims about security in the region.

The region’s Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the attack was “much larger than anything we’ve seen directed at civilians in recent years,” according to a post on X.

Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Srinagar on Tuesday night and was due to hold a security review meeting with all agencies. The region’s government and police also opened a helpline for tourists and others seeking help.

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With assistance from Kamran Haider.