Baisaran, a two kilometre-long picturesque meadow surrounded by dense pine and kail forests turned into a theatre of terror on Tuesday for scores of tourists who were enjoying the lush greens when four to five Pakistan-backed terrorists opened automatic fire on them, turning a dream vacation into a nightmare.
New images, seen by HT, show that most of the 26 men killed in the terror strike were shot in the head. The execution-style killings were aimed at scaring tourists out of the Kashmir valley, HT learns. The attack came at a time when tourism was booming in the Kashmir valley and locals were reaping its benefits
At the time of attack, locals and officials said that more than a thousand tourists from different parts of the country were soaking up the meadow’s beauty. It is connected to dense forests of Kokernag in south Kashmir on one side and the Pahalgam Valley on the other.
Security forces are hunting for the terrorists but have made no headway so far. “Up above the forests is the snow-capped Kishtwar ridge beyond which is the Warwan valley. It is unlikely that the terrorists would have moved to the top. Most likely they made lateral movements, and that’s how we are pursuing them,” said an official, who asked not to be named.
The officials acknowledged that the attackers could reach Kishtwar after crossing Sinthan top via Kokernag and Daksum dense forests. However, a search operation has been launched in all areas which officials believe could be possible escape routes .
The meadow which on Tuesday was brimming with tourist activities has now turned into a fortress. On Wednesday, home minister Amit Shah visited Baisaran . National Investigation Agency (NIA) teams headed by senior officers also visited the spot to gather information about the attackers. Some portions of the meadow have been sealed. “There are only security forces in Baisaran and its adjoining forests,” said a second officer who visited the spot.
The area has traditionally been peaceful, a reason why security forces were not on permanent deployment there. A Central Reserve Police Force battalion is, however, deployed nearby. To be sure, top officials said it was not possible to secure every location, especially one with no threat perception. “Tourists were never targeted like this in decades. The terrorists picked this location because a strike in the valley heartland garners maximum mileage,” said a third official.
Located atop a hill, the meadow is ringed by snowcapped mountains and dotted with pine forests. The top sight-seeing destination — known locally as mini–Switzerland — is accessible only by foot or on horses. It can take almost 45 minutes to reach it from the nearest road head, which officials believe is another reason why the terrorists chose it.
The attack came months before the Amarnath Yatra commences on July 3 (through August 9) and amid a record rise in tourism in the valley.
Officials, citing eyewitnesses said that four to five terrorists could have been involved in the brutal attack. Their sketches have been released after the investigating officials collected details from injured tourists and their family members and local tourist guides and pony owners.
“The terrorists entered the fenced park from three different places and started asking names of tourists and started killing them. It seems the motive was to kill as many tourists as possible,” a fourth official said.
The meadow has emerged as a popular tourist destination and never witnessed a terrorist attack. It was one of the most visited places in Pahalgam and tourists mostly trekked or used ponies to reach the spot. The Resistance Front, a front for the Lashkar-e-Taiba has already claimed responsibility terming the attack as a wake-up call for Delhi, which, it claimed, was issuing domicile certificates to many non-locals.
At the time of the attack, there weren’t any security personnel at the tourist spot, only tourists and locals.
“This place is a day destination. On some days more than 10,0000 tourists visit the place. Due to the closure of the national highway (on account of inclement weather), there were around 1,000 tourists at the meadow when tourists and locals heard the first shots,” said a local tourist guide who was present on the spot when the firing began at around 2 pm.
“When people heard the firing they took cover behind the trees; many tourists were shot from close range by terrorists. Everybody was in panic trying to get out of the meadow,” he said adding that it took the police and security forces half an hour to reach the spot.
“While some police and army quick reaction teams went inside the forest looking for attackers, the others along with locals began rescue operations and ferried down injured tourists to Pahalgam.”
A pony owner said that when he heard the firing, he along with three tourists rushed towards Pahalgam. “I didn’t stop there. Just moved forward. The firing continued for more than 10 to 20 minutes. Everybody was running for cover.”
Based on the cartridges they have collected, investigators say that AK-47 assault rifles and M4 rifles were used by the attackers. The army’s Srinagar-based Chinar Corps said a massive search operation is underway in the forests of Pahalgam to track down the attackers.