They were demons, not humans: Maharashtra woman who lost father, uncle in Pahalgam attack lambasts terrorists

Pune: Asavari Jagdale, whose father Santosh Jagdale and uncle Kaustubh Ganbote were killed in the Pahalgam terror attack, said the perpetrators were not humans but demons.

At least 26 people were killed and several injured when terrorists opened fire at a meadow near Pahalgam town in south Kashmir's Anantnag district on Tuesday afternoon, an act that has outraged a nation and drawn condemnation from across the world.

"They were not humans. They were demons," said 26-year-old Asavari, who showed exemplary courage in the face of terror by providing support to her mother and Ganbote's wife Sangita at the site of the carnage and later at the hospital.

"While we were busy doing photoshoots at the point called Mini Switzerland in Baisaran Valley, we suddenly heard gunshots. We asked some locals about it and they claimed locals open fire to scare away tigers. However, the horror of the moment dawned on us as we saw people getting shot, while others were reciting the kalma. We knew this was different," she recounted.

"One of the terrorists, in his early 20s, asked my father to get up. My father urged him not to harm them. He coldly said he will show us how to kill and sprayed three bullets, one of which hit my father on the head, another going through the ear and the third getting lodged in his chest," Asavari said.

Her uncle Kaustubh Ganbote was shot in the back of the head, with the bullet piercing his eye, while other males were also shot dead, she said recalling the moments when happiness of people vacationing at a tourist haven turned into an unforgettable nightmare.

"The terrorists asked people to recite the 'kalma' (Islamic verses). Those who could, did. Those who could not, didn't. Despite my father saying they would do as told, the terrorists shot him and my uncle dead. We also came to know that a man was shot in the head when went to buy snacks for his wife and son who were busy with a photoshoot," she said.

"The boy asked the terrorists to kill him and his mother as well but they walked away saying they would not kill women and children. Amid the mayhem, I gathered courage and managed to escape with my mother and aunt. While coming down, my mother suffered leg injuries. A pony rider offered us support and hope. He gave us a pony ride to our driver," Asavari recounted.

She said she is still to come to terms with the death of her father, whose pyre she lit during the day, and her uncle.

"The entire episode was horrific. The cruelty with which the terrorists killed shows they were not humans. They were demons. Humans cannot be this cruel," she said teary eyed.

The government should take stern action against the perpetrators and also help the families of the victims, she emphasised.