Survivors of Kashmir attack say gunmen asked if they were Hindus and opened fire
KARNAL, India — When Aishanya and Shubham Dwivedi tied the knot in February, they decided to plan a getaway to picturesque Kashmir in celebration.
While enjoying a snack in a lush Pahalgam meadow surrounded by snow-capped Himalayan peaks, the couple encountered a man who initially seemed harmless, Aishanya recounted to The Associated Press. She assumed he was a local guide.
The man, with piercing eyes, approached them and posed a chilling question: “Are you a Hindu or a Muslim?” If they were Muslim, he demanded that they recite the Islamic declaration of faith.
The couple was taken aback. Aishanya initially thought it was a local act. “We are Hindus,” her husband responded.
Without warning, the man drew a gun and shot him “at point-blank range in the head,” Aishanya, 29, tearfully recalled. Her husband fell onto her, drenching her in blood.
The man then turned the gun towards her but changed his mind. Aishanya believed his motive was clear: “He wanted to eliminate the men and leave the women to mourn, weep, and recount the horrific ordeal.”
She overheard the man, accompanied by other assailants, instructing tourists: “Inform your government. Inform Modi about our actions.” Terrified tourists fled for safety.
Authorities under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration have divulged minimal details regarding the recent attack in Kashmir where 26 people, predominantly Hindu tourists, were killed by gunmen. This incident marked one of the most deadly assaults targeting civilians in the disputed region claimed by both India and Pakistan.
The survivors shared harrowing experiences and questioned how such an attack could transpire in one of the most militarized zones globally, where Indian troops are omnipresent.
“It was a monumental security lapse,” lamented Sunil Swami, whose son-in-law Vinay Narwal, a naval officer, was among the casualties. Swami urged the government to guarantee “foolproof security” before inviting tourists to Kashmir: “Provide written assurances and ensure it.”
Swami recounted his daughter’s account of the tragedy. Men in camouflage attire fatally shot individuals after confirming their religious affiliation, he disclosed.
“They fired three bullets into my son-in-law’s neck, chest, and thighs upon realizing he was Hindu,” Swami recounted.
Rajashree Akul, a teacher from Mumbai, revealed that three members of her elder sister Anushka Mone’s family perished in the attack. She recalled her sister’s narrative of two gunmen in uniform segregating tourists based on their religion before executing them.
“My brother-in-law implored them to ‘let us go,’ insisting ‘We are innocent tourists.’ They paid no heed and fatally shot him,” Akul narrated.
The bereaved are grappling with sorrow and remorse.
Tage Mali, an Indian army personnel stationed in Kashmir, regrets his inability to save his younger brother Tage Hailyang, an Air Force officer, who was gunned down in front of his wife, Charu Kamhua.
Tage Mali disclosed his brother had received transfer orders, hence he invited his wife to witness Kashmir’s beauty before departing.
The wife recounted to Tage Mali that they heard gunshots, and armed men approached Tage Hailyang demanding his credentials. Once his identity was confirmed, they shot him.
