Several people are feared dead and many are injured after suspected militants opened fire on a group of tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir on Tuesday, police sources told Anadolu.
Police and regional administration described it as one of the worst attacks in recent years, which took place in the scenic destination of Pahalgam in southern Kashmir that draws thousands of visitors, including foreigners, every year.
One of the police officials, speaking with Anadolu on the condition of anonymity, did not confirm the number of casualties but said many were feared dead in the "dastardly" attack.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the attack on tourists was an "abomination."
"The perpetrators of this attack are animals, inhuman and worthy of contempt," he said on social media, adding that the death toll was still being ascertained.
Indian Home Minister Amit Shah said he briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the attack and held a meeting with the security officials. He is expected to visit the disputed region.
Shah added that those involved in the "dastardly act of terror will not be spared, and we will come down heavily on the perpetrators with the harshest consequences."
The Himalayan region, which is claimed in full but ruled in part by both India and Pakistan, has been caught in vicious cycle of violence since the start of an anti-Indian insurgency in 1989. However, attacks on tourists and visitors have been rare.
Last June, militants attacked a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims, plunging it into a deep gorge and killing at least nine people.
India revoked Kashmir's special status in 2019, splitting the state into two federally administered territories - Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
