Pahalgam Attack: All about Baisaran, the 'mini Switzerland' hit by terror strike

Business was as usual at the popular tourist destination of Baisaran in south Kashmir’s Pahalgam. Little did anyone know that soon the popular meadow surrounded by dense forests would become a scene of terror attack in which 26 tourists would have lost their lives.

As several tourists were roaming the Baisaran Valley – six kilometres from the resort town of Pahalgam -  two or three terrorists reportedly clad in army uniforms, emerged from the dense forests and opened indiscriminate fire on the tourists at around 3pm Tuesday.

The dastardly attack took place on a day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on a state visit to Saudi Arabia.

Known as ‘mini-Switzerland', Baisaran is located at a distance of 5 kilometres from the main centre of Pahalgam, which is a tourist hot spot.

The meadow is accessible only by foot or ponies and is also a popular trekking location. The rugged, steep, difficult to traverse terrain made it a likely target by terrorists. Also there were no vehicles available nearby and no structures to hide when the attack unfolded on Tuesday afternoon, reported The Mint.

It is dubbed as ‘Mini Switzerland’ due to its long, dark meadows, mostly found in Switzerland. The website of Pahalgam Development Authority (PDA) describes Baisaran as an eye-catching destination that provides a contrasting hue to snow-capped peaks of the surrounding mountains.

Also Read: Pahalgam terror attack: Srinagar to Delhi flight prices touch Rs 30k as tourists try to flee Kashmir

Baisaran is also ideal for tourists who want to trek up the Tulian Lake and get a fantastic view of the the town and the Lidder Valley.

Other than being a popular tourist destination, Pahalgam is also a very important site for Hindus as it's a base camp and main point of departure for the annual Amarnath Yatra pilgrimage.

Also they could have been trying to send a message to US Vice President JD Vance, who was on a visit to India. Also, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on a state visit to Saudi Arabia at the time of the attack.