Attack was 'timed to coincide' with peak tourist rush at Baisaran meadow
The terror attack at the remote Baisaran meadow near Pahalgam on Tuesday was a calibrated strike with terrorists having already scouted the area and assessed when it would have the maximum number of tourists, said sources.
Located about six km away from Pahalgam, the meadow is accessible only by foot or a pony ride. It takes about 40 minutes on foot or pony to travel to the meadow that is ringed by forests on all sides. A narrow 'kutcha' track from the road is the only access to it.
Usually, tourists throng the meadow, which is known as "mini Switzerland" due to its lush and pristine surroundings, between 1 pm and 3 pm. The attack occurred at 2.30 pm.
The sources said the nearest Quick Reaction Team (QRT) of security forces was located a few miles away from the road. It would have taken the QRT to reach the site almost an hour The terrorists had probably done their home work and knew the QRT's location and its possible response time. Also the meadow, or its only access route, has no armed security.
The terrorists segregated Hindu men from among the tourists. The attack was over in 15 minutes. The terrorists returned to the forest fully knowing that the security forces would take time to reach the meadow.
An internal assessment is that there are some 125-130 terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir. Of these, around 115 have infiltrated from Pakistan. The terrorists get help from overground workers who are locals. They provide logistical support like food and shelter and even keep an eye on the movement of the security forces.
The sources said several such tourist locations had been opened up for tourists visiting J&K. Last year, almost 5 crore tourists visited the UT. Another 5 lakh people travelled to the Amarnath shrine that has two access routes — one via Pahalgam and the other via Baltal near Sonamarg.
