On April 22, 2025, terrorists opened fire on Besaran Marj, killing 26 people, most of them tourists.
It was a typical April afternoon in 2025. Tourists were queuing Pesaran meadow in Pahalgam, a place often called “Mini Switzerland”. Families waited their turn at the zipline. The phones were out of service, recording what was supposed to be a holiday memory. One of those clips will come up to show how many people remember that day.
A 53-second video, filmed by a tourist, begins like any other travel clip. hanging over the valley, Rishi Bhatt from Ahmedabad smiles for the camera, ready to go. Moments before he was released, the skid steer operator allegedly said “Allahu Akbar” three times.
Nothing happened at first. Then faint sounds, like cracks, began in the background. On the ground below, people started running.
The video captured the opening moments of one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in the region since 2016 Pulwama bombing in 2019
2025 Pahalgam terror attack
On April 22, 2025, Gunmen opened fire on Besaran meadow, killing 26 people, most of them tourists. The Resistance Front, a terrorist group linked to the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, later claimed responsibility for the attack.
In the video, Bhatt was still in the air when panic spread below. He later said he did not immediately understand what was happening.
“…The shooting started when I was ziplining…I didn’t realize it for about 20 seconds…I suddenly realized that the shooting had started and people on the ground were being killed. I saw 5-6 people getting shot,” he told news agency ANI.
“God is great three times and then the shooting started.”
In the days that followed, the chant heard before the journey began attracted much attention.
“After about 20 seconds, I realized it was him Terrorist attack… (The slide operator) said ‘Allahu Akbar’ three times, and then the shooting started.”
Bhatt also described what he saw next. Families are targeted, people run away, and struggle to escape. “I unbuckled my belt, jumped down, took my wife and son, and started running away… and we hid there as well.”
His account also included allegations that the attackers asked some victims to identify their religion.
Who was the Zipline operator?
As the video spread, the slip factor, said to be Muzamil, emerged.
“He looked like an ordinary Kashmiri,” Bhatt told the media at the time.
Investigators from The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Jammu and Kashmir Police questioned people at the site, including the operator. According to sources, he was summoned again as part of the investigation.
No official result linking the chant to the attack was announced.
Muzamil’s family rejected allegations of any wrongdoing.
“At the moment, Muzamil is with the police,” his father Abdul Aziz told news agency ANI at the time. “He was very afraid, and he started crying at that time. He said: ‘Don’t tell me anything, something has happened here.'”
He added in the hymn: “Even if the storm comes, we say God is great. What is our fault in this? Muzammil was only working with the rope, and did not do any other work.”
Mbuba Mufti on the “Allahu Akbar” side.
This phrase is commonly used among Muslims in daily life and during prayer.
former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said that this phrase is commonly used among Muslims in moments of distress, similar to the way Hindus say “Jai Shri Ram.”
Questions were raised about security at the site.
“The army presence was everywhere in the lowlands, even in the forest. But there was no army officer at the main location. Jammu and Kashmir Police as well as three security guards at the main gate…” Bhatt told ANI.
Political voices have also called for scrutiny of the Zipline operator. Congress leader Pramod Tiwari said the matter needs to be investigated and that “the truth must come out.”
Bhatt described how the shooting stopped briefly, allowing people to run, before starting again. “When the shooting stopped after a little 8 to 10 minutes, we started running towards the main gate… The shooting started again and 4-5 people were shot.”
He credited local assistance and the military with saving lives.
“one The pony guide took us away from there…and soon we found Indian Army personnel ahead of us. They provided cover to all the tourists… We felt safe once the army gave us cover… I am grateful to the Indian Army.”
Sindor process
The terrorist attack witnessed a strong response from India.
On May 7, 2025, India launched Operation Sindoor, which targeted terror infrastructure across Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir.
It was a targeted strike targeting terrorist groups including Lashkar-e-Taiba and others. More than 100 terrorists were killed in the strikes, according to the Ministry of Defense.
Anita Goswami is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times, where she primarily covers Indian and international news. With four years of experience in the field, she has led coverage of Indian general elections, Assembly elections, and national polls in the US, Canada, Bangladesh and Nepal. Its reports cover world wars and major events, including Operation Sindoor, the overthrow of Sheikh Hasina, and the Mahakumbh Mela. It verifies the facts and uses clear sources to ensure the accuracy of the reports. As a former Editor-in-Chief at Storytailors, she has managed teams to produce high-quality content for networks such as NDTV, Profit, CNBC-TV18, Upstox and News18. Her work has appeared on NDTV, Meaww and Global Pulse. Throughout her tenure, Anita has collaborated with and received mentoring from leading industry experts. When she’s not reading, Anita can be found outside or at a bakery. Areas of interest: Indian political history, international elections, historical policy analysis, global conflicts, cultural events, Formula 1, art, media ethics, reporting on social and political change over time.Read more
