Quick Take
Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed.
A tourist on a zipline inadvertently captured the terrorist attack in Pahalgam.
The attack left 26 civilians dead, mainly 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen.
The Resistance Front claimed responsibility for the incident on April 22.
New Delhi:
A tourist who was on a zipline ride during a trip to Jammu & Kashmir’s Pahalgam last week inadvertently captured the terrorist attack that left 26 civilians dead, according to a new video that has emerged on social media.
In the 53-second video that has gone viral, the tourist – a man in a blue checked shirt, wearing a pair of sunglasses and helmet as safety gear – can be seen taking and recording the ride using a selfie stick, even as sounds of gunshots can be heard in the background.
Unaware of the terror attack, the man – later identified as Rishi Bhatt from Ahmedabad – enjoys his ride with a smile, while the remaining tourists on the ground run helter-skelter.
As the zipline ride finishes and the man moves closer to the ground, another tourist is seen falling down, presumably after sustaining a bullet injury.
Speaking to news agency ANI, Mr Bhatt recalled how he detached himself from the safety belt the moment he realised about the firing.
“I took my wife and son and started running. We saw people hiding at a spot which was like a pit, so they could not be spotted easily. We hid there too. When the firing stopped a little after 8-10 minutes, we started running toward the main gate… The firing resumed and four to five people were shot. Around 15-16 tourists were shot in front of us. When we reached the gate, we saw the local residents had already left. One pony guide helped us to leave the place…,” he said.
“The Army was present in the lower areas. There was no Army official at the main location,” he added.
Earlier in the day, another video of tourists running and hiding behind a kiosk emerged. The sound of gunfire can be heard in the distance.
New Video of the Pakistan sponsored Pahalgam terror attack in Kashmir. Tourists as well as some local Kashmiris can be seen taking cover as terrorists open firing on innocent civilians. One terrorist can be seen at a distance. pic.twitter.com/3si7JK9WKV
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) April 28, 2025
Another video shows bodies strewn across the grass, bursts of gunfire echoing in the backdrop.
Twenty-five tourists – 24 Indians and one Nepali citizen – and a local man were killed in the terror attack at Baisaran – dubbed ‘mini Switzerland’ for its meadow – in Pahalgam on April 22. An officer of the Indian Navy and an Intelligence Bureau personnel were also among those killed.
It was the deadliest strike in the Valley since the 2019 Pulwama strike. The Resistance Front, a shadow group of the banned Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror group, claimed responsibility.
Following the attack, India downgraded diplomatic ties with Pakistan and announced a raft of measures, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 and revocation of visa services for Pakistani nationals.
In retaliation, Pakistan also announced a series of measures, including closure of its airspace for Indian airlines. Islamabad also said that any move to divert water meant for it under the pact will be considered an “Act of War”.
