Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 23 (ANI): India is grappling with sorrow following a brutal terror attack in the scenic region of Pahalgam, Anantnag district, which claimed the lives of several innocent civilians, including tourists.

The tragic incident, one of the most severe since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, has triggered widespread grief, condemnation, and calls for justice.

The impact of the attack has reverberated across the country, with several Bollywood celebrities expressing their anguish.

Alia Bhatt called the news from Pahalgam 'heartbreaking,' writing, 'Innocent lives lost. Tourists, families, people who were just... living. Seeking beauty. Seeking peace. And now there's only grief.'

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Anushka Sharma condemned the incident as a 'cold-blooded terror attack,' while Sidharth Malhotra labelled it a 'cowardly act,' adding, 'I have full faith in our armed forces and I'm sure they will do the needful.'

Katrina Kaif described the massacre as 'horrific,' expressing her prayers for the bereaved families and demanding that 'justice be served.'

Madhuri Dixit echoed the sentiment, stating the events in Pahalgam were 'beyond heartbreaking.'

On Tuesday, terrorists opened fire on a group of tourists in Baisaran, a picturesque meadow just five kilometres from the popular hill station of Pahalgam.

The attack has left the nation shaken and led to heightened security in the region, with local streets now deserted and search operations underway to apprehend the perpetrators.

In response, the Jammu and Kashmir Government announced an ex-gratia compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the families of the deceased and Rs 2 lakh for those seriously injured.

Political leaders across the country have denounced the attack. 'This barbaric and senseless act of brutality against innocent civilians has no place in our society,' read an official statement from the Jammu and Kashmir administration, vowing justice for the victims.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah personally visited the attack site on Wednesday and paid tribute to the victims in a solemn wreath-laying ceremony at the Srinagar Police Control Room.

He also met the grieving families, whose pain was evident as they pleaded for answers and justice.

Meanwhile, a team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA), led by a Deputy Inspector General-rank officer, visited the site to support the Jammu and Kashmir Police in what is now considered one of the deadliest attacks on civilians in Kashmir in the last two decades.

As a mark of national mourning, the Supreme Court of India observed a two-minute silence on Wednesday in memory of the victims.

The tribute was held at 2:00 pm across the Court and its Registry, in a rare gesture of collective grief and solidarity.

In the wake of the tragedy, tourists in the Kashmir Valley have started cutting their visits short, leading to a surge in demand for flights from Srinagar.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has urged airlines to increase operations and consider waiving cancellation and rescheduling charges to aid stranded passengers. (ANI)