Today's Edition
SRINAGAR, INDIA (REUTERS)
At least 20 people were feared killed after suspected militants opened fire on tourists in India's Jammu and Kashmir territory on Tuesday, three security sources said, the worst attack on civilians in the troubled Himalayan region for years.
The attack took place in Pahalgam, a popular tourist destination in the scenic, mountainous region, particularly busy during the summer.
One security source put the death toll at 20; the second put it at 24 and the third at 26. All three spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media.
"The firing happened in front of us," one witness told broadcaster India Today, without giving his name. "We thought someone was setting off firecrackers, but when we heard other people (screaming), we quickly got out of there ... saved our lives and ran."
"For four kilometers, we did not stop ... I am shaking," another witness told India Today.
The attack occurred in an off-the-road meadow, and two or three militants were involved, the Indian Express newspaper reported, citing an unidentified senior police officer.
