Lieutenant Vinay Narwal.
New Delhi: The devastating terror attack on tourists in the picturesque Baisaran meadows of Pahalgam in the Kashmir valley on Tuesday claimed 28 lives. Among the victims in the deadliest civilian massacre in the valley in two decades were an Indian Navy officer, Lieutenant Vinay Narwal, 26, and an Indian Air Force airman, Corporal Tage Hailyang, 30, whose deaths have sent shockwaves through the armed forces and across the country.
Lt Narwal, an engineering graduate from Karnal, Haryana, had married Himanshi, a Gurgaon-based professor, just six days before the attack. The couple, whose European honeymoon plans were shattered by a visa denial, had chosen Kashmir for their trip, seeking solace in its famed meadows in Pahalgam. On that fateful afternoon, while sharing a simple meal of bhelpuri, gunmen opened fire indiscriminately, shattering the tranquillity and forever altering the lives of dozens.
A local ATV operator, Irshad Ahmad, was among the first responders. He recalled the harrowing rescue: “I checked his pulse and realized he was dead. But I told his wife he was alive ... I didn’t want her to panic,” he said, describing how he ferried both Narwal and Himanshi to safety, shielding the young bride from immediate grief. Witnesses described scenes of chaos and bloodshed, as tourists scrambled for cover in the remote, vehicle-inaccessible valley.
Himanshi seen sitting beside Lt Vinay Narwal’s body at the Pahalgam massacre site. (Photographer: Unknown/via X)
Family and Community Grieve
Back in Karnal, Lt Narwal’s family and neighbours were still distributing wedding sweets when the devastating news reached them. “We were planning a celebration on his return. Now, we have planned his cremation,” said a relative, encapsulating the abrupt shift from joy to sorrow. His grandfather, Hawa Singh, a retired Haryana Police officer, lamented, “Had the terrorists not had guns, Vinay would have taken on at least three of them.”
The family’s grief was echoed by neighbours, who recalled the recent wedding festivities and expressed disbelief at the tragedy.
Lt Narwal’s mortal remains, wrapped in the national flag, were flown to New Delhi and then transported to Karnal for the final rites. The funeral, attended by fellow officers, family, and dignitaries, was marked by an outpouring of emotion. Himanshi, inconsolable at the ceremony, mustered the strength to say, “I hope his soul rests in peace. He lived a good life. It is because of him that the world is still surviving. And we should all be proud of him, in every way.”
Lt Narwal wasn’t the only serviceman who died in the Pahalgam terror attack. As India Sentinels had reported earlier, Corporal Tage Hailyang of the Indian Air Force was also killed by the terrorists. Cpl Tage belonged to Arunachal Pradesh’s Old Ziro town.
Attack and Aftermath
The attack, claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF) – an offshoot of the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba, targeted tourists gathered in the scenic meadow, which is a popular destination outside the Pahalgam town. The terrorists reportedly opened fire on the tourists from automatic weapons at close range.
Maharashtra suffered the highest toll, with six of its residents killed.
Security forces have launched a massive manhunt for the perpetrators. The Indian Army and Jammu & Kashmir Police have intensified operations in the region, with all security agencies placed on high alert. The government has vowed to bring the attackers to justice, with the prime minister, Narendra Modi, receiving messages of solidarity from world leaders and convening high-level security meetings.
