Trump extends 'deepest sympathies' after gunmen kill 20 in India's Kashmir region

President Donald Trump extended his "deepest sympathies" connected Tuesday aft gunmen reportedly killed astatine slightest 20 radical successful India's Kashmir region. 

"Deeply disturbing quality retired of Kashmir," Trump wrote connected TRUTH Social. "The United States stands beardown with India against Terrorism. We commune for the souls of those lost, and for the betterment of the injured. Prime Minister Modi, and the unthinkable radical of India, person our afloat enactment and deepest sympathies. Our hearts are with you all!" 

White House property caput Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Trump had been briefed by National Security Adviser Mike Waltz connected the matter. 

Trump volition talk with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi "as soon arsenic helium perchance tin to explicit his heartfelt condolences for those lost," Leavitt said astatine Tuesday's White House briefing. "And our prayers are with those injured successful our nation's enactment for our ally, India. These types of horrific events by terrorists are wherefore those of america who enactment for bid and stableness successful the satellite proceed our mission. So we'll springiness you a readout of that telephone aboriginal this afternoon." 

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Indian tourists remainder connected a seat arsenic constabulary officers defender adjacent a timepiece operation astatine metropolis centre successful Srinagar, Indian-controlled Kashmir, connected Tuesday, April 22, 2025.  (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan)

Leavitt said the property whitethorn perceive from Trump straight aboriginal Tuesday afternoon. 

The shooting coincided with Vice President JD Vance and his family's sojourn to India. 

Vance met with Modi connected Monday and delivered a code connected strengthening the economic partnership betwixt their 2 nations successful the northwestern Indian metropolis of Jaipur earlier Tuesday. 

"Usha and I widen our condolences to the victims of the devastating violent onslaught successful Pahalgam, India," the vice president wrote connected X aft the attack. "Over the past fewer days, we person been flooded with the quality of this state and its people. Our thoughts and prayers are with them arsenic they mourn this horrific attack." 

Indian constabulary said gunmen changeable dormant astatine slightest 20 tourists astatine a edifice successful Indian-controlled Kashmir successful what appeared to beryllium a large displacement successful the determination struggle successful which tourists person mostly been spared.

Modi said helium powerfully condemned "the panic attack" successful Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, and offered condolences to those who person mislaid their loved ones. 

"I commune that the injured retrieve astatine the earliest," Modi wrote connected X. "All imaginable assistance is being provided to those affected. Those down this heinous enactment volition beryllium brought to justice...they volition not beryllium spared! Their evil docket volition ne'er succeed. Our resoluteness to combat coercion is unshakable and it volition get adjacent stronger." 

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The country's constabulary besides described the incidental arsenic a "terror attack" and blamed militants warring against Indian rule. 

"This onslaught is overmuch larger than thing we’ve seen directed astatine civilians successful caller years," Omar Abdullah, the region’s apical elected official, wrote connected societal media.

Indian information officers patrol successful armored vehicles adjacent Pahalgam successful southbound Kashmir aft assailants indiscriminately opened fired astatine tourists successful Pahalgam, successful Indian-controlled Kashmir, connected Tuesday, April 22, 2025.  (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)

Two elder constabulary officers said astatine slightest 4 gunmen, whom they described arsenic militants, fired astatine dozens of tourists from adjacent range, according to the Associated Press. The officers said astatine slightest 3 twelve others were injured, galore successful superior condition.

Most of the tourists killed were Indian, the officers reportedly told the AP connected information of anonymity, successful keeping with departmental policy. 

Officials collected astatine slightest 20 bodies successful Baisaran meadow, immoderate 3 miles from the disputed region’s edifice municipality of Pahalgam. 

The meadow successful Pahalgam is simply a fashionable destination, surrounded by snow-capped mountains and dotted with conifer forests. It is visited by hundreds of tourists each time arsenic Kashmir, known for Himalayan foothills and exquisitely decorated houseboats, has go a large home tourer destination. It has drawn millions of visitors who bask a unusual bid kept by ubiquitous information checkpoints, armored vehicles and patrolling soldiers.

Nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan each administer portion of Kashmir, but some assertion the territory successful its entirety.

There was nary contiguous assertion of responsibility. Police and soldiers were searching for the attackers.

"We volition travel down heavy connected the perpetrators with the harshest consequences," India’s location minister, Amit Shah, wrote connected societal media. He arrived successful Srinagar, the main metropolis successful Indian-controlled Kashmir, and convened a gathering with apical information officials. He said Modi, connected an authoritative sojourn successful Saudi Arabia, has been briefed.

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Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a cardinal absorption person and Kashmir’s apical spiritual cleric, condemned what helium described arsenic a "cowardly onslaught connected tourists," penning connected societal media that "such unit is unacceptable and against the ethos of Kashmir which welcomes visitors with emotion and warmth."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.