Following intelligence warnings of potential further terror attacks after last week’s strikes in Pahalgam, the Jammu and Kashmir government has decided to shut down 48 of the 87 tourist destinations across Kashmir. Sources confirm that communication intercepts reveal sleeper cells in the valley were activated in response to the Pahalgam attack and have been directed to carry out operations.
“In light of the recent militant attack on tourists on 22.04.2025, reliable intelligence inputs suggest that militant organizations are actively planning attacks targeting security forces and non-local individuals in the coming days,” sources said.
It also suggested that Pakistan’s spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), is planning targeted attacks on non-local individuals, CID personnel, and Kashmiri Pandits, especially in the Srinagar and Ganderbal districts.
According to sources, continuous intelligence reports indicate that terrorists, active across North, Central, and South Kashmir, are planning targeted killings, along with a larger, more impactful attack, in retaliation for the destruction of active terrorists’ houses in the valley following the Pahalgam attack.
The report further warned that, given the vulnerability of railway infrastructure and the significant presence of non-local railway staff in the Valley, the possibility of an attack targeting the Railways cannot be ruled out. Agencies have advised railway security personnel to avoid moving outside their designated camps and barracks.
In response, security forces have deployed anti-fidayeen squads, primarily from the Special Operations Group of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, to sensitive tourist locations; this includes Gulmarg, Sonamarg, and the Dal Lake areas, which remain open to visitors. Overall, security measures have been significantly strengthened.
On April 22, a group of Pakistan-based terrorists opened fire on tourists in Pahalgam’s Baisaran Valley, a well-known destination in Kashmir, killing 26 people, mostly tourists. The attack caused a significant exodus of tourists from the region, and the latest warnings come as tourists had begun returning to the state, including to Pahalgam.
In response, security agencies have initiated a large-scale anti-terror operation across Kashmir, conducting coordinated raids, detaining hundreds of suspects and terror sympathizers, and searching for the attackers behind the Pahalgam massacre, which involved a local terrorist. Authorities have also destroyed several homes of active terrorists as part of the intensifying crackdown.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA), investigating the attack, has visited the site to recreate the crime scene. The agency plans to question local workers at the site, including those working at the zipline facility, as well as survivors such as Gujarati tourist Rishi Bhatt, whose video captured images of the terrorists.
