"Who are all Hindus among you? Stand up! They then opened fire": Pahalgam terror attack survivor recounts horror

Thane (Maharashtra) [India], May 2 (ANI): Subodh Patil, a survivor of the Pahalgam terror attack, recounts the harrowing experience that left him fighting for his life.
Patil, who is from Maharashtra, described how terrorists approached and demanded, "Who are all Hindus among you? Stand up!" They then opened fire."
Patil said that he was shot and fell unconscious. When he regained consciousness many hours later, he found himself surrounded by dead bodies.
Speaking to mediapersons, Patil said, "We heard some noise behind us, but could not recognise it. Then we heard continuous sounds and saw people running. We got scared, so we also started running. We saw a few people sitting together ahead of us and sat down there. A terrorist came and asked, "Who are all Hindus among you? Stand up!' They then opened fire. I got shot and fell unconscious. I woke up after many hours and found myself surrounded by dead bodies."
He further detailed how a resident helped him reach the nearest exit. Patil was then taken to an Army hospital for treatment.
"The local who brought me up there (Baisaran meadow) recognised me. He gave me water and brought me to the exit on his back. From there, he took me downhill on a bike. The army personnel bandaged me and took me to the hospital. From there, I was taken to the army hospital in a helicopter. I was admitted there for seven days," Patil said.
The terror attack happened on April 22 at the popular tourist destination in Pahalgam's Baisaran meadow, where terrorists gunned down 26 tourists, leaving several others injured.
In response to the terror attack, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) met on April 23 and was briefed in detail on the terrorist attack in Pahalgam.
The CCS condemned the attack in the strongest terms and expressed its deepest condolences to the families of the victims and hoped for the early recovery of the injured.
The cross-border linkages of the terrorist attack were discussed in the briefing to the CCS. It was noted that this attack came in the wake of the successful holding of elections in the Union Territory and its steady progress towards economic growth and development.
The government has said that the terrorists responsible for the attack and the conspirators behind it will face severe punishment.
The government has announced a series of measures, including putting the Indus Water Treaty in abeyance, to send a strong message to Pakistan for its support of cross-border terrorism. (ANI)