'We'll never go back to Kashmir': Newlyweds heard gunshots, fled on horseback

Mihir (26) and Komal (25), residents of Jaipur, at IGI airport. (Image: X)

Barely two months into marriage, a couple's idyllic escape to Jammu and Kashmir quickly turned into a nightmare when they heard gunshots in Baisaran near Pahalgam on the day when 26 civilians lost their lives to the ghastly terror attack.

Mihir (26) and Komal (25), residents of Jaipur, were among the many survivors who landed at Terminal 3 of Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on Wednesday.

Also Read: Jammu and Kashmir Attack News Live

“We had just reached Pahalgam. Everything was so serene. We bought bhelpuri and were sitting in a quiet corner, soaking in the view when suddenly, we heard gunshots. People started screaming and running,” Mihir Soni, who along with his newlywed wife managed to find a corner to hide before making their way out of Baisaran — the meadow where 26 people were gunned down by militants on Tuesday, told the Indian Express.

"A sudden crack in the air. One shot and then another. We saw a man fall. Then another. Everything around us stopped," Komal told Times of India as she shared her ordeal while still being teary-eyed.

"The photo of Lt Vinay Narwal's wife - for the world, it went viral. For us, it was real. We saw death come closer. We ran before it could reach us," Komal added.

The fortunate couple escaped on horseback, whispering prayers as they fled. Next day, they were on the first flight to Delhi, heading home to Jaipur.

"We will never go back to Kashmir," Komal said as she welled up with tears. "We feel lucky, blessed and sad at the same time," her husband added, TOI reported.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decried the "heinous act" in the summer retreat of Pahalgam, which lies about 90 kilometres by road from the key city of Srinagar, pledging the attackers "will be brought to justice".

J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that "the attack is much larger than anything we've seen directed at civilians in recent years".