Pahalgam Terrorist Attack: 25 Hindus Killed After Being Forced to Prove Faith, Say Officials

New Delhi, 26th April 2025: Investigators examining the site of the brutal terror attack near Pahalgam in Jammu & Kashmir have uncovered deeply disturbing evidence that suggests the assailants may have singled out their victims based on religious identity.

According to senior officials involved in the initial examination, the bodies of nearly 20 of the 26 male victims were found with their trousers either unzipped or pulled down—an indication, investigators believe, that the terrorists conducted a faith-verification exercise before executing them.

“It was horrifying. Many of the deceased had their lower garments disturbed in a way that pointed to a deliberate act,” said a senior officer part of the first official response team, which included personnel from the Indian Army, Jammu & Kashmir Police, and civil administration.

While grieving families and local rescue teams had initially covered the victims in shrouds and may not have noticed these details, it was during a more formal forensic and legal review that the unsettling pattern was noticed.

Eyewitness statements corroborate the suspicion that militants demanded identity documents such as Aadhaar cards or driving licenses, asked the victims to recite Islamic verses, and even ordered them to expose themselves—allegedly to check for circumcision, a practice associated with Islamic faith.

“Once convinced that the individuals were non-Muslim, the attackers opened fire at point-blank range,” an officer familiar with the probe said.

Twenty-five of the 26 victims were confirmed to be Hindu men, reinforcing suspicions that this was a premeditated act of religiously motivated violence.

Meanwhile, the investigation has intensified. Security agencies have narrowed down their focus to around 70 overground workers (OGWs) and terror sympathisers believed to have aided the attackers with logistics and reconnaissance. These individuals are from areas across South Kashmir, including Tral, Pulwama, Anantnag, and Kulgam.

“Around 1,500 persons were initially questioned during the first sweep of the investigation. We’ve now zeroed in on about 70 people with stronger links to the group responsible for the ambush,” a senior J&K administration official stated. “We’re hopeful of identifying the main perpetrators soon.”