Pahalgam terror attack: 'Foreign terrorists, Sniper-like training' | What we know about gunmen

Two to three gunmen, reportedly in military fatigues, opened fire at several tourists enjoying pony rides in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on Tuesday afternoon. At least 26 people died in the one of the worst terror attacks.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister for Finance Nirmala Sitharaman have cut short their visit to foreign nations in the wake of a gruesome terror attack in Pahalgam, one of the biggest terror attacks after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.

The Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police have launched a search operation in the general area of Baisran, Pahalgam, Anantnag, to nab the perpetrators of the attack.

What we know about the gunmen?

Preliminary probes suggested that at least four terrorists carried out the Pahalgam attack. Three of them could be foreign terrorists, News 18 reported.

Intelligence sources told the media outler that the attack has all the hallmarks of being carried out by foreign terrorists, who are believed to have infiltrated the region in recent months.

According to the report, M4 bullets were found at the crime scene. Witness accounts suggested that AK-47s and other military-grade automatic weapons were used.

Agencies are probing whether sniper-like training was given to the terrorists, the report stated.

A witness told India Today that the attack “was very similar to what happened during the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.” She said the gunmen were wearing uniforms like those of local police and had printed masks that resembled what army personnel wear.

“Tourists were initially unaware of what was happening as the terrorists were wearing army fatigues,” sources told News 18.

The attack was claimed by a shadow outfit affiliated with the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba.

A militant group, the "Kashmir Resistance," claimed responsibility for the attack in a social media message.

According to Reuters, the group 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.

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