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By Shane Croucher
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Authorities in India have released sketches of the suspected attackers who opened fire on tourists at a scenic picnic area in Indian-controlled Kashmir, killing at least 26 people and wounding 17 others.
The sketches were drawn with the help of survivors in what police are calling a terror attack. Indian media named the suspects as Asif Shaikh, Suleman Shah, and Abu Talha. A manhunt is underway, led by the Indian Army.
The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of Pakistan's Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist organization, claimed responsibility for the attack, and accused the tourists of trying to "settle illegally."
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"More than 85,000 domiciles have been issued to non-locals, creating a pathway for demographic change in Indian-occupied Jammu & Kashmir," said the TRF statement.
"These non-locals arrive posing as tourists, obtain domiciles, and then being to act as if they own the land. Consequently, violence will be directed toward those attempting to settle illegally."
Later on Wednesday, India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan in response to the attack. The government said the treaty will remain in effect until Pakistan "credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism."
India's foreign secretary Vikram Misri said: "Recognizing the seriousness of this terrorist attack, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) decided upon the following measures- The Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 will be held in abeyance with immediate effect until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism."
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X: "Those behind this heinous act will be brought to justice … they will not be spared!"
"Their evil agenda will never succeed. Our resolve to fight terrorism is unshakable and it will get even stronger."
A spokesperson for Pakistan's foreign ministry said the government was "concerned at the loss of tourists' lives," adding: "We extend our condolences to the near ones of the deceased and wish the injured a speedy recovery."
Attack Targeted Indian Tourist Hotspot
The attack took place in the picturesque town of Pahalgam in the Himalayan mountains, popular with Indian visitors. A witness video posted to social media shows people running and screaming in the meadow as the sound of loud gunshots echoes around.
"We will come down heavily on the perpetrators with the harshest consequences," India's home minister, Amit Shah, wrote on social media.
Indian tourism has flourished in Kashmir after the Modi government promoted visits to the region, hoping it would demonstrate the area's renewed stability under a heavy security presence. Millions of visitors now arrive in Kashmir every year to see its Himalayan foothills and exquisitely decorated houseboats.
Pahalgam is in the Baisaran meadow, locally known as "mini Switzerland" and is accessible only on foot or horseback. The town is a major tourist destination because of its alpine meadows, pine forests, snow-clad slopes and trekking routes.
It also lies on a major annual Hindu pilgrimage route, the Amarnath Yatra, and serves as one of its largest base camps, drawing hundreds of thousands of pilgrims. This year's pilgrimage starts on July 3 and ends on August 9.
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Officials said 24 of the people killed were Indian tourists, one was from Nepal and one was a local tour guide. At least 17 others were injured.
Separately, soldiers killed two suspected militants in a gunfight after they tried to cross into the Indian side from Pakistan-controlled Kashmir in northwestern Baramulla district along the heavily militarized Line of Control dividing the region, the Indian army said in a statement on Wednesday. There was no independent confirmation of the incident.
Militants had attacked civilians before, but the last major attack was in 2000. The latest attack sparked outrage and drew international condemnation, including from U.S. President Donald Trump.
"Deeply disturbing news out of Kashmir. The United States stands strong with India against Terrorism," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
"We pray for the souls of those lost, and for the recovery of the injured. Prime Minister Modi, and the incredible people of India, have our full support and deepest sympathies. Our hearts are with you all!"
India-Pakistan Dispute Over Kashmir
Nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan each administer a part of Kashmir, but both claim the territory in its entirety. The two arch rivals have also fought three wars over Kashmir, where armed insurgents have resisted Indian rule for decades.
Many Muslim Kashmiris support the rebels' goal of uniting the territory, either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country.
India has accused Pakistan of fomenting violence in the Muslim-majority region. Islamabad denies the charge and many Kashmiris consider it a legitimate freedom struggle.
Tens of thousands of civilians, rebels and government forces have been killed in the conflict.
In 2019, Modi's government revoked Kashmir's semiautonomous status and imposed sweeping security measures.
Since then, his government has kept order in the region with a huge security presence and drastically curbed dissent, civil liberties and media freedoms.
This article uses reporting by The Associated Press.
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