Pahalgam terror attack: Two from Andhra killed

Two natives of Andhra Pradesh were reportedly killed in the dastard terrorist attack at Pahalgam in Kashmir on Tuesday (April 23).

The deceased have been identified as Chandramouli from Visakhapatnam and Somisetty Madhusudhan Rao from Kavali in Nellore district.

According to reports, Chandramouli left for Kashmir on April 18 with a group of five people on vacation. It has been learnt that terrorists rand after him and shot him multiple times even as he begged them not to kill him.

Speaking to Sakshi, Chandramouli’s friend DSP Nageshwar Rao condemned the gruesome attack. Chandramouli, a retired bank employee, recently celebrated his birthday. His wife has not yet been informed about the tragedy.

Madhusudhan Rao, a software engineer settled in Bengaluru, had gone to Kashmir on a vacation with his family. He is survived by his wife and two children. Madhusudan’s body will be airlifted to Chennai on Wednesday and reach Kavali in the evening.

The terror attack, which took place on Tuesday in the scenic Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam, has left at least 16 people dead, including several tourists and an Intelligence officer and injured dozens more.

Initial reports indicate that The Resistance Front, a Pakistan-based outfit believed to be an offshoot of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba, has claimed responsibility.

PM Modi, who was in Jeddah for the second India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council, cut short his visit in light of the attack. He cancelled a scheduled state dinner and an address to the Indian community to return to New Delhi and take charge of the situation.