Pakistan-Backed TRF Strikes in Kashmir's Pahalgam, Targets Tourists to Weaponize Demographic Policy

Jammu, India - Terror returned to the meadows of Pahalgam on Monday as armed terrorists opened fire on a group of tourists in the Baisaran Valley region of South Kashmir's Anantnag district. The attack occurred in the early afternoon hours (2:30 PM) and has so far claimed five civilian lives, while twelve others have been injured, according to official inputs from ground authorities. Baisaran, often dubbed Kashmir’s “mini-Switzerland,” was bustling with summer tourism activity when the ambush took place.

The wounded were swiftly evacuated to nearby hospitals, with the Indian Army’s 319 Field Hospital responding rapidly despite the region’s tough topography, which permits access only by foot or horseback. Local pony owners and villagers also played a crucial role in ferrying the injured down to medical checkpoints. An official from the hospital in Pahalgam confirmed that the 12 admitted victims were initially stable, but several were in critical condition.

TRF Issues Press Release; SoG Launches Cordon-and-search Ops Across Anantnag

Soon after the attack, The Resistance Front (TRF)—a Pakistan -backed proxy of Lashkar-e-Taiba—claimed responsibility through a public communiqué circulated on social media. The outfit cited the Indian government’s domicile policies as justification for targeting the victims. In their statement, TRF accused New Delhi of attempting to alter Kashmir’s demographic profile by issuing over 85,000 domicile certificates to non-locals, whom they alleged were “posing as tourists” and “illegally settling” in the region.

Reacting to the TRF’s incendiary remarks, senior counterterrorism officials expressed concern that terror outfits are now explicitly targeting civilians under demographic pretexts, marking a dangerous shift in operational doctrine. The Special Operations Group (SOG) of J&K Police has since cordoned off the broader Baisaran region, launching a comprehensive search operation to trace the perpetrators, believed to have escaped into nearby highland forests.

What is Kashmir's Domicile Law? 

The Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) domicile law, introduced in 2020 after the abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A, redefined residency in the region by replacing the earlier "permanent resident" category with the broader term "domicile." Under this law, several categories of individuals are eligible for domicile status. These include those who have resided in J&K for a continuous period of 15 years, individuals who have studied for seven years and appeared in either the Class X or XII examinations within the Union Territory, and children of central government employees or public sector and autonomous body staff who have served in J&K for a total of 10 years.

The new domicile law has wide-reaching implications. One of the most significant changes is in the area of public employment—only domiciles are now eligible to apply for government jobs in the region, thereby broadening access to these opportunities beyond the earlier pool of "permanent residents." Additionally, although the domicile law itself does not directly address land ownership, other legal amendments have allowed all Indian citizens to buy non-agricultural land in J&K, eliminating the requirement for domicile status in such transactions.

Before this legal transformation, Article 35A of the Constitution gave the J&K legislature exclusive power to define permanent residents, who enjoyed special privileges in land ownership and state employment. The 2020 domicile law signifies a substantial shift from that system and is aimed at fostering deeper integration of Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of India.

Why ISI-Backed Terror Organizations have been irked by J&K Domicile Law

Pakistan-sponsored terrorist groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and Hizbul Mujahideen are ideologically and tactically invested in projecting Jammu and Kashmir as a disputed territory—separate from the Union of India. The domicile law, by redefining and regularizing residency rights under Indian constitutional norms, sends a strong signal of permanent integration of J&K with the Indian Union. This directly dismantles the two-nation theory argument and undercuts Pakistan's claim at global forums like the UN.

Terrorist groups backed by Pakistan have long relied on the fear narrative that India seeks to alter the demography of the Muslim-majority region through legal means. The domicile law—which allows non-local residents who fulfill certain criteria (like 15 years’ stay or service tenure) to claim residency—has been weaponized in propaganda to allege "Hinduisation" or "settler colonialism." Many terror outfits rely on local youth who are emotionally or ideologically swayed by the perception of "occupation" and "outsider exploitation." The domicile law, by opening up rights to a broader population while simultaneously promising jobs and development, reduces the grievance base that insurgents exploit. If governance begins to deliver, their ability to gain local recruits diminishes.

Survivors Recount Horror In The Hills; Chopper Airlift And Pony Rescue Underscore Topographic Strain

Among the survivors, a woman whose husband was shot during the attack narrated her trauma over the phone. “My husband was shot in the head... seven others were also injured. We didn’t even see where the bullets came from,” she said, breaking down mid-sentence. Her statement adds to the growing evidence that the attack was not aimed at any specific community or group but was an indiscriminate strike on civilian life.

The Indian Army and local authorities pressed a helicopter into service for aerial evacuation, while local pony owners courageously assisted in bringing injured tourists down the rugged meadows. Medical teams from both civil administration and defence forces remain stationed at Pahalgam’s base medical camp.

Security Tightened Across South Kashmir; Tourist Routes Temporarily Closed For Sanitisation

In the wake of the attack, security has been heightened across the Anantnag district, especially around sensitive tourist hotspots like Aru, Chandanwari, and Lidder Valley. Officials confirmed that tourist routes to Baisaran will remain temporarily closed, and bookings have been suspended until the area is fully secured and sanitised.

The assault on Pahalgam—a region long considered peaceful amid Kashmir's periodic unrest—has sent shockwaves through the tourism sector, which has only recently begun to rebound from years of disruption. The timing and location of the attack are being analysed as part of broader assessments of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism and its evolving civil-targeting strategy.

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