“We have absolutely nothing to do with this. We reject terrorism in all its forms and everywhere,” Asif told a national television channel regarding the attack in the Pahalgam area of Jammu and Kashmir.
Similarly, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its deep concern over the incident, which also left several injured.
In a statement, the Foreign Ministry also expressed its sincere condolences to the families of the deceased and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
Eyewitnesses reported that the attackers stormed into the Baisaran Valley, a tourist attraction with rolling hills and lush orchards, and opened fire, sending tourists into a panic and running for shelter.
Indian security forces on Wednesday released sketches of three alleged perpetrators of the terrorist attack, created with the help of survivors of what the government called one of the worst terrorist attacks in recent memory.
According to the Indian press, the Resistance Front (RFF), a group associated with Pakistan’s Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), banned by Islamabad, claimed responsibility; this has not yet been confirmed by the authorities.
jrr/arm/mem/lr