Since the year 2000, Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed multiple terrorist attacks specifically targeting civilians, leaving numerous casualties and deep scars on the community.
March 21, 2000: Militants killed 36 members of the Sikh minority community in Chattisinghpora village, Anantnag district.
August 2000: A terror attack at the Nunwan base camp resulted in the death of 32 people, mostly Amarnath pilgrims.
July 2001: At Sheshnag base camp, 13 Amarnath pilgrims were killed in another brutal assault.
October 1, 2001: Suicide attackers targeted the Jammu & Kashmir State Legislature Complex in Srinagar, killing 36 individuals.
2002: Terrorists attacked the Chandanwari base camp, killing 11 Amarnath pilgrims.
November 23, 2002: An IED blast on the Jammu-Srinagar highway at Lower Munda claimed 19 lives, including nine security personnel.
March 23, 2003: At least 24 Kashmiri Pandits, including women and children, were massacred at Nandimarg village in Pulwama district.
June 13, 2005: Thirteen civilians and three CRPF officers were killed when a car bomb exploded in a crowded market in Pulwama.
June 12, 2006: Nine laborers from Nepal and Bihar were killed in Kulgam.
July 10, 2017: An attack on an Amarnath pilgrimage bus in Kulgam resulted in eight deaths.
Apart from these incidents, security forces have also been continuously targeted. A notable case was the 2019 Pulwama attack, where 40 CRPF personnel lost their lives.
Recent Attack in Pahalgam: On Tuesday afternoon, terrorists launched a deadly attack in the popular tourist destination of Baisaran near Pahalgam, killing 26 people, including tourists, making it the deadliest strike in Kashmir since Pulwama in 2019.
The victims included two foreigners, two locals, and several tourists from various Indian states. Officials reported at least 20 injuries. The Resistance Front (TRF), linked to the banned Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), claimed responsibility for the assault.
Eyewitnesses recounted terrifying scenes of attackers indiscriminately firing at visitors, creating chaos and panic. Local authorities and security forces swiftly initiated rescue operations, deploying helicopters and mobilizing ambulances and police.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the attack and pledged stringent action against the perpetrators. Union Home Minister Amit Shah traveled urgently to Srinagar for an emergency security assessment.
The attack has raised fresh concerns about civilian safety in a region that had recently seen a surge in tourism after years of unrest.