SRINAGAR, India (Reuters) – At least 20 people were feared killed after suspected militants opened fire on tourists in India’s Jammu and Kashmir territory on Tuesday, three security sources said, the worst attack on civilians in the troubled Himalayan region for years.

The attack occurred in Pahalgam, a popular destination in the scenic, mountainous region where mass tourism, especially during the summer months, has resurged as Islamist militant violence has eased in recent years.

One security source put the death toll at 20, while the second put it at 24 and the third at 26. All three spoke on the condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media.

“The firing happened in front of us,” one witness told broadcaster India Today, without giving his name. “We thought someone was setting off firecrackers, but when we heard other people (screaming), we quickly got out of there…, saved our lives and ran.”

“For four kilometers, we did not stop … I am shaking,” another witness told India Today.

The attack took place in an off-the-road meadow and two or three militants were involved, the Indian Express newspaper reported, citing an unidentified senior police officer.

“The death toll is still being ascertained so I don’t want to get into those details,” Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said in a post on X. “Needless to say, this attack is much larger than anything we’ve seen directed at civilians in recent years.”

The nationalities of the victims were not immediately known.

A little-known militant group called the “Kashmir Resistance” claimed responsibility for the attack in a social media message. It expressed discontent that more than 85,000 “outsiders” had been settled in the region, spurring a “demographic change”.

“Consequently, violence will be directed toward those attempting to settle illegally,” it said.

Reuters could not independently verify the source of the message.

The regional government of Jammu and Kashmir, where Pahalgam is located, told its legislature this month that nearly 84,000 non-locals, from within India, had been given domicile rights in the territory in the last two years.

Security Meeting

“Those behind this heinous act will be brought to justice … They will not be spared!” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X. “Their evil agenda will never succeed. Our resolve to fight terrorism is unshakable and it will get even stronger.”

Indian Home Minister Amit Shah said he was rushing to Kashmir to hold a security meeting.

The Himalayan region, claimed in full but ruled in part by both India and Pakistan, has been prone to militant violence since the start of an anti-Indian insurgency in 1989. Tens of thousands of people have been killed, although violence has tapered off in recent years.

India revoked Kashmir’s special status in 2019, splitting the state into two federally administered territories – Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. The move also allowed local authorities to issue domicile rights to outsiders, allowing them to get jobs and buy land in the territory.

That led to a deterioration of ties with Pakistan, which also claims the region. The dispute has been at the root of bitter animosity and military conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

Attacks targeting tourists in Kashmir have become rare. The last deadly incident took place in June 2024 when at least nine people were killed and 33 injured after a militant attack caused a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims to plunge into a deep gorge.

Some major militant attacks during the height of the insurgency coincided with visits from high-profile foreign officials to India, in likely attempts to draw global attention to Kashmir, Indian security agencies have said.

Tuesday’s attack came a day after U.S. Vice President JD Vance began a four-day, largely personal visit to India.

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(Reporting by Fayaz Bukhari; additional reporting by Sakshi Dayal and Shilpa Jamkhandikar; writing by Surbhi Misra and YP Rajesh; editing by Bernadette Baum and Mark Heinrich)