25 Years of Terror in Kashmir: The Pain, The Blood, The Untold Stories

For over 25 years, Kashmir—often called Paradise on Earth—has endured a relentless cycle of militancy, terror attacks, and communal violence that has profoundly reshaped the lives of its people. While the valley’s breathtaking beauty continues to captivate the world, the stark reality beneath is one of loss, fear, and upheaval. Since the insurgency began in the late 1980s, an estimated 70,000 to 100,000 people—including civilians, security personnel, and militants—have lost their lives. Thousands more have been injured or displaced, and entire communities have been uprooted.

The massacre triggered fear across minority groups and led to the exodus of many Sikhs and Kashmiri Pandits from the valley. It highlighted the brutal tactics militants were willing to use and the fragile security situation in Kashmir.

In the early hours of March 20, 2000, 35 Sikh villagers in Chattisinghpora, Anantnag district, were brutally massacred by militants, reportedly Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives disguised as Indian Army personnel. The attack was a horrific message aimed at minority communities in Kashmir — instilling terror and forcing displacement. The Sikhs of Chattisinghpora had lived peacefully for decades but suddenly found themselves targets in a violent conflict that was not of their making.

The massacre triggered fear across minority groups and led to the exodus of many Sikhs and Kashmiri Pandits from the valley. It highlighted the brutal tactics militants were willing to use and the fragile security situation in Kashmir.
The Amarnath Yatra, a sacred pilgrimage to the holy Amarnath cave, became a repeated target of terror in the early 2000s. Between 2000 and 2002, coordinated attacks during the pilgrimage killed nearly 40 pilgrims and injured many more. Militants from groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen aimed to disrupt the annual religious event and incite communal tensions between Hindus and Muslims.

Each attack was not just a massacre but an assault on Kashmir’s delicate social fabric. Security forces were repeatedly stretched thin trying to protect pilgrims in the treacherous terrain while militants used the chaos to stoke fear and unrest.
Five Pakistan-backed terrorists from Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba stormed the Indian Parliament in New Delhi, killing 8 security personnel and a civilian. The attackers, disguised as Indian forces, were neutralized before they could reach lawmakers.

The assault was a direct challenge to Indian sovereignty and triggered Operation Parakram, a massive military mobilization with over 500,000 troops deployed along the India-Pakistan border. The 10-month standoff brought both nations to the brink of war and reshaped India’s counterterrorism strategy.

November 2002 saw multiple militant attacks across Kashmir that targeted civilians and security forces alike. Scores were killed in a series of bombings, ambushes, and grenade attacks. The violence kept civilians locked indoors and pushed the valley deeper into a climate of fear.

Militant groups were at their most active, exploiting the political uncertainty and using terror to try and fracture the state’s unity. This wave also led to harsher security measures, but the valley remained a powder keg.
One of the most gruesome massacres of Kashmiri Pandits took place in Nadimarg, Pulwama district. Twenty-four Kashmiri Pandit civilians were brutally murdered by Lashkar-e-Taiba militants. Entire families were wiped out — women, children, and elderly among them.

The massacre deepened the already ongoing exodus of Pandits from Kashmir, devastating the community and irreversibly altering the valley’s demographic and cultural landscape. It was a chilling reminder of how terror was used to ethnically cleanse Kashmir.
In October 2005, Pulwama once again made headlines as militants ambushed an Indian Army convoy, killing 17 soldiers. This attack marked the beginning of Pulwama’s emergence as a hotspot for terror activity, later culminating in more deadly incidents.

Security forces faced enormous challenges operating in this district, which had become a base for militants launching cross-border terror strikes. The loss of soldiers added to the valley’s long list of casualties and brought national attention to Pulwama’s growing insecurity.
The 2016 Uri attack shocked India to its core. Four heavily armed militants from Jaish-e-Mohammed attacked an Indian Army base near Uri, close to the LoC, killing 19 soldiers and injuring over 30. The operation was a well-planned, high-impact assault that exposed serious security vulnerabilities.

India responded with unprecedented surgical strikes on terrorist camps across the LoC, signaling a shift from reactive to proactive counterterrorism policy. The strike also boosted national morale and highlighted the ongoing threat from Pakistan-backed militants.
The Amarnath Yatra once again faced terror in 2017 when militants hurled grenades at a bus carrying pilgrims in the Kulgam district, killing 8 and injuring many more. This attack on unarmed civilians during a sacred pilgrimage was widely condemned and underscored the militants’ disregard for human life and religious sensitivities.

Despite increased security, the incident revealed the challenges in safeguarding large-scale pilgrimages through dangerous terrain vulnerable to militant infiltration.
The deadliest terror attack in recent Kashmir history took place in Pulwama when a suicide bomber from Jaish-e-Mohammed rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a CRPF convoy, killing 40 paramilitary personnel. The attack sent shockwaves across India and led to intense public outrage.

India launched retaliatory airstrikes targeting terror camps in Balakot, Pakistan, marking a major escalation. The international community watched nervously as tensions between India and Pakistan soared. Pulwama became a symbol of the high human price Kashmir continues to pay.
The most recent terror attack occurred in Pahalgam on April 22, 2025 where militants targeted tourists and security personnel. 26 civilians killed, including 25 tourists and 1 local Muslim pony ride operator, Initially claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), believed to be an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)

Despite decades of counterterrorism efforts, such attacks remind us that Kashmir remains volatile. The attack also impacted tourism, a key economic lifeline for the valley, further deepening local hardships.
Across these attacks, thousands of innocent civilians — Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs — have been caught in the crossfire. Families have lost loved ones; children have grown up amid violence and uncertainty. The exodus of Kashmiri Pandits, frequent lockdowns, communication blackouts, and heavy military presence have altered daily life drastically.

Economic opportunities are scarce, schools and hospitals struggle to function, and the mental health impact of decades of trauma remains unaddressed. Kashmiris live in a constant state of vigilance, uncertain if the next attack will claim their home or their lives.

India’s military and intelligence agencies have responded to these attacks with targeted strikes, improved border security, and extensive intelligence gathering. Surgical strikes after Uri, the Balakot airstrike following Pulwama, and frequent counter-insurgency operations aim to dismantle terror infrastructure.

Yet, the conflict’s complexity means a purely military solution remains elusive. Political engagement, economic development, and efforts to address local grievances are equally critical but often overshadowed by violence.
For 25 long years, Kashmir has lived through a nightmare that never seems to end. Every attack is not just a headline — it is a shattered family, a childhood stolen, a community scarred forever. Mothers who have lost their sons, children who have grown up without fathers, and neighbors who live in constant fear of the next explosion — this is the human cost of terror.

Yet, amid the ruins of violence and despair, Kashmir still breathes hope. The people who remain are survivors in the truest sense — clinging to their dreams of peace, to the laughter of their children, and to the simple yearning for a normal life. Their resilience is a quiet defiance against the darkness that has tried to engulf them.

This is not just a story of terror — it is the story of human courage, of lives broken but not defeated. Kashmir’s silence is filled with prayers for peace, and until that peace comes, the world must never forget the faces behind the numbers. Because these lives lost, these stories untold — they are the true cost of conflict, and the deepest call for humanity to finally listen.