Know the Victims of Pahalgam Massacre: From a Newlywed Navy Officer to Families on Vacation

In one of the most gruesome and targeted acts of terror in recent years, at least 26 innocent people including two foreign nationals and a young Indian Navy officer were brutally killed in a terror attack at the Baisaran meadow near Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on Tuesday. The attack has been claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the banned Pakistani terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

Eyewitness accounts and initial investigations reveal the horrifying nature of this planned massacre, a cold-blooded assault on unsuspecting tourists, many of whom appear to have been targeted solely for not being Muslim.

“He Was Killed in Front of Me”: Widow’s Grief Echoes a Nation’s Anguish

Among the victims was Manjunath Rao, who was visiting Pahalgam with his wife Pallavi and young son. In a heart-wrenching statement to India Today, Pallavi said, “Three of us – me, my husband and our son – had gone to Kashmir. It happened around 1.30 pm, I think. We were at Pahalgam. He died on the spot, in front of my eyes.”

Navy Officer Killed on Leave Just Days After Wedding

Another among the fallen was 26-year-old Lieutenant Vinay Narwal from Haryana’s Karnal district, who served in the Indian Navy. Posted in Kochi, Vinay had recently married on April 16 and was on leave for a honeymoon in Kashmir when he was killed in the attack.

“He had a bright future,” said a grieving neighbour. “We cannot believe this has happened.” Vinay’s wedding reception was held just days ago on April 19, making his tragic end even more devastating for his young bride and family.

#WATCH | One Indian Navy Officer, Lieutenant Vinay Narwal (aged 26 years), who was posted in Kochi, has been killed in the #PahalgamTerroristAttack attack while he was on leave. He is a native of Haryana and got married on 16 April

In Karnal, Vinay Narwal's neighbour says, "He… pic.twitter.com/bSjUfIIGGI

— ANI (@ANI) April 22, 2025

Faith-Based Killing: Terrorists Asked Victims to Recite ‘Kalima’

What makes this attack particularly disturbing is the targeted nature of the killings. Government sources have revealed that some of the terrorists, dressed in army fatigues, approached tourists, asked about their religion, and demanded that they recite the kalima a formal Islamic declaration of faith. When they failed to do so, they were shot dead on the spot.

“The attacker targeted men first and asked them to recite kalima before shooting them dead,” a senior official said. A woman survivor told PTI over phone, “My husband was shot in the head… he was shot for not being a Muslim.” She pleaded for help in evacuating the injured.

The majority of those killed were men, according to preliminary reports. Many tourists initially mistook the terrorists for army personnel due to their uniforms a calculated move that ensured maximum casualties.

The Message is Clear And Horrifying

The TRF’s claim of responsibility, and the method of this attack, makes it brutally evident: this was not just an act of terror, but a hate crime aimed at Hindus and non-Muslims. It was a barbaric attempt to send a message of fear and religious intimidation, desecrating the sanctity of Kashmir’s tourism sector and attacking the very idea of India’s pluralistic fabric.

This massacre has triggered widespread outrage across India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have cut short their foreign visits, with Shah flying to J&K and Modi convening an emergency meeting immediately upon landing in Delhi. Political leaders across parties have condemned the attack, and the entire country mourns the senseless loss of innocent lives.

As the investigation deepens and the hunt for the terrorists intensifies, the victims’ families and the nation demand only one thing: swift justice and the unflinching resolve to crush terror in all its forms, especially when it wears the cloak of religious hatred.

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