Tourist unknowingly zip-lined over terrorist attack that killed 26 people in sobering footage
A man who went on holiday with his wife and son unknowingly filmed a terrorist attack whilst zip-lining in northern India.
Rishi Bhatt, from Gujarat, visited Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam, Kashmir when a mass shooting claimed the lives of 26 people and injured three dozen last Tuesday (22 April).
The tourist who survived the incident accidentally filmed a video of people being shot in the background by a number of gunmen.
India has branded the massacre as a 'terror attack' and has accused Pakistan of backing it, Sky News reports. Pakistan, however, has denied any involvement in the attack, which has been claimed by The Resistance Front, also known as the Kashmir Resistance, which is thought to stem from terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
Advert
The region of Kashmir is a disputed region between India and Pakistan, as tensions stem from territorial claims since the 1947 partition.
Bhatt's video, which has gone viral for the wrong reasons, saw him gradually descending on a zipline, before gunshots could heard in the background.
As he passes by, people could also be seen running for safety.
"I saw 5-6 people getting shot," he said (via The New Indian Express) after detaching himself from the zip-line, fleeing the area with his family.
"I unlatched my belt and jumped down, took my wife and son and started running away. We saw people hiding at a spot which was like a pit, so you could not spot someone easily there. We too hid there.
"I found out that men in two families ahead of us were asked their religion and shot in front of my wife and son. My wife and son were screaming."
Bhatt said the firing went on for eight to 10 minutes before a brief pause, after it resumed. The Army, he claims, reached the area within 20-25 minutes.
"The firing started again, and 4-5 people were shot. 15-16 tourists were shot in front of us," he added.
"When we reached the gate, we saw that the local public had already left.
"They gave cover to all the tourists within 18-20 minutes...We felt safe once the Army gave us cover...I am grateful to the Indian Army."
“This attack is much larger than anything we’ve seen directed at civilians in recent years,” Omar Abdullah, the region’s top elected official, said on social media.
Donald Trump has also issued a response, writing on Truth Social: "Deeply disturbing news out of Kashmir. The United States stands strong with India against Terrorism."
A local police official told Reuters on Monday (28 April) that around 500 people have been detained for questioning after police searched houses and forests in Kashmir.
Topics: World News, News, Crime
Anish Vij