The terror attack in Pahalgam, a popular tourist destination in Jammu and Kashmir, on Tuesday (April 22) took the lives of at least 28 people, many of whom were tourists who were there with their families to enjoy the much-revered beauty of Baisaran Valley, a serene spot known as ‘mini Switzerland.'

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What began as a peaceful horse ride turned into a nightmare for a family from Kerala, when terrorists opened fire in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on Tuesday. Arathi, a native of Kochi, was on holiday with her father, N Ramachandran, and her twin sons when chaos erupted. “We were enjoying the second day of our trip,” she told reporters. “Suddenly, we heard gunshots and people started running and screaming,” she added.

Also read: Pak Senate passes resolution denying any link to Pahalgam attack; UN urges for ‘maximum restraint’

‘He asked something, then shot my father’

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Arathi and her family jumped off their horses and crawled under a fence for safety as panic spread. But nothing could prepare them for what came next. “I saw an armed man moving among groups of people, asking them something and then shooting,” she said.

Trying to find a safer spot, Arathi hesitated. Her father, however, remained calm and told her to stay where they were. “The man came towards us and said ‘Kalima’. We didn’t understand what he meant. Then he shot my father,” she recounted.

'He pointed the gun at me, then walked away'

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As her father lay bleeding, Arathi held him close, frozen with fear. The attacker pointed the gun at her, and it was only when her sons screamed that he turned and walked away.

She and her children then crawled through the surrounding forest until they reached a nearby resort, where they were secured by the Indian Army.

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Arathi spoke warmly about the kindness she received from two local taxi drivers, Musafir and Samir. “They stood by me when I went to the mortuary and stayed with me the whole time. At the airport, I told them I now have two brothers in Kashmir,” she said.

Her father, N Ramachandran, was later confirmed to be among the 26 civilians killed in the brutal attack, which has been claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the Pakistan-based banned terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba.

He was cremated with full state honours in Kochi on Friday.

Watch: J&K attack: Opposition backs centre on steps against terror, questions Pahalgam security ‘lapse’