Pahalgam Attack: ‘Mere bacche ko kuch mat karna,’ pleads a panic-struck woman, mistaking army for terrorists | Watch

Pahalgam Attack: The dastardly terror attack on civilians, mostly tourists, in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22 left 26 people dead, sending shockwaves across India and beyond.

Soon after the attack on Tuesday afternoon, several videos narrating the horrific act of terror and the resulting trauma faced by tourists were circulating on social media. In one such video, a middle-aged woman, probably a tourist, is seen mistaking an Indian Army personnel for a terrorist.

Initial reports said that gunmen included a group of terrorists, including one or two dressed in army uniforms.

Viral Video 

In the video, the men in uniform are seen trying to calm and convince the survivors of the attack in picturesque Baisaran meadow that they are there for their safety. While the soldiers are heard saying repeatedly ‘ hum log fauj hai,’ the surviving tourists, adults and kids, are clearly traumatised by the attack that they just witnessed first-hand. The civilians are seen weeping and sobbing upon finding the armed soldiers in uniform.

"Mere bacche ko kuch mat karne. (Please don’t hurt my child)," a visibly distraught woman, crying with folded hands, is heard saying.

We Are Indian Army

The soldiers reassured the terrified tourists and said, "We’re Indian Army. We are here for your safety. Hum log fauj hai," one soldier is heard saying to the woman in the video.

Tuesday's attack was carried out in the fabled Baisaran meadow of Pahalgam on a day when United States Vice President JD Vance was in India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on a state visit to Saudi Arabia.

The attack is a chilling reminder of the Chittisinghpura massacre in which 36 Sikhs were killed by terrorists in Chittisinghpura village of Anantnag district on March 20, 2000. The attack was carried out on the eve of the then US president Bill Clinton's state visit to India from March 21 to March 25.

Where is Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam?

Baisaran – a popular meadow surrounded by dense forests – in south Kashmir’s Pahalgam,

Located at 5 kilometres from the main market in Pahalgam, one of the region’s most popular tourist destinations, the Baisaran meadow is accessible only by foot or ponies. 

So, no vehicles were available nearby or even structures except for trees to hide.