Pahalgam Terror attack: Survivor says attackers cursed PM Modi, made father recite Islamic verse before shooting

Pahalgam terrorist Attack: A family’s holiday turned into a nightmare in Kashmir’s Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam, as terrorists opened fire on a group of tourists in one of the deadliest attacks the region has witnessed in recent years.

Asavari Jagdale, 26, daughter of Pune-based businessman Santosh Jagdale, recounted the harrowing sequence of events to PTI, just hours after the incident. Her voice trembled as she relived the moment when her father was ordered out of a tent by the gunmen and asked to recite an Islamic verse—an act he could not fulfil. In response, they shot him three times: once in the head, once behind the ear, and again in the back.

The family, which included five members, had sought refuge inside a tent in Baisaran along with other tourists when the firing began. According to Asavari, the attackers were dressed similarly to local police and descended from a nearby hill.

“We were a group of five people, including my parents. We were in Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam and were at a spot called Mini Switzerland when the firing began,” she told PTI in a telephonic interview conducted five hours after the shooting.

After her father was gunned down, the terrorists turned to her uncle, who was lying beside her, and shot him multiple times in the back.

According to official reports, at least 26 people—mostly tourists—were killed in the Pahalgam terror attack, with several others injured.

Asavari, her mother, and another female relative were spared. They were later evacuated by locals and security personnel to the Pahalgam Club, where they are still awaiting news about the condition of the two men.

She further recounted how the group initially mistook the gunfire for a skirmish between militants and security forces. Fleeing to a tent for shelter, they were soon discovered by the attackers.

“Then they came to our tent and asked my father to come out,” she said.

“They said ‘Chaudhari tu bahar aa ja’,” Asavari recalled.

The gunmen accused them of supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and claimed they did not kill innocents, women or children. However, what followed told a different story.

“They then asked my father to recite an Islamic verse (probably the Kalma). When he failed to do so, they pumped three bullets into him, one on the head, one behind the ear and another in the back,” she said.

“My uncle was next to me. The terrorists fired four to five bullets into him. They shot several other males who were at the spot. There was nobody to help. No police or army, who reached 20 minutes later. Even the locals there were reciting the Islamic verse.”

It was the pony handlers who had earlier guided the group to the scenic meadow that eventually helped the surviving women return safely. After undergoing medical examinations, they were moved to the Pahalgam Club.

“The firing happened around 3.30 pm. It has been 5 hours and there has been no update on my father’s and uncle’s medical condition,” Asavari added.