Pahalgam attack: First photo of attacker emerges, shows terrorist wielding AK-47 rifle

The first image of the attacker in the terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam.

The first image of the ghastly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on Tuesday that resulted in the deaths of 28 persons so far has emerged online.

The image captured from behind shows the attacker, wearing a grey kurta, wielding an AK-47 rifle in his hand. Security agencies believe that this is one of the terrorists involved in the Pahalgam terror attack, reports News18.

The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba, has claimed responsibility for the attack on tourists. Eyewitness accounts revealed the extent of horror that unfolded in this picturesque tourist location as terrorists began firing indiscriminately at the tourists.

"(They) were wandering around the grassland...at a little distance from others (family members) when terrorists suddenly started firing…They were targeting male tourists,” a relative of one of the deceased, identified as UP resident Shubham Dwivedi, told Moneycontrol. Shubham was on a visit to Kashmir with his family and got married in February this year.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was on a visit to Saudi Arabia when the attack happened, cut short his trip and returned to Delhi on Wednesday morning. Condemning the attack, the PM vowed that the attackers would not be spared.

Home Minister Amit Shah, who rushed to J&K last evening, called a high-level security meeting after the attack and is scheduled to travel to Pahalgam for an urgent security review.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed shock at the incident, terming it an "abomination."

Terrorists opened fire at a popular tourist spot near Kashmir’s Pahalgam town at around 2.30 PM on Tuesday. This attack, a rare one targetting tourists, is the deadliest in the Valley since the Pulwama attack in 2019 where 40 security personnel were killed.

Among the 28 victims killed in the attack are two foreigners from UAE and Nepal, and two locals, officials reported.

According to sources, around 8-10 terrorists are likely to be involved in the Pahalgam terrorist attack. Out of them, 5-7 terrorists are suspected to be from Pakistan.

Survivors of the dastardly terror attack in Pahalgam revealed that the terrorists only targeted male tourists and asked for their religious identity before killing them.