“Felt Like Being Hunted…”: Survivor Nishant Bhattacharjee from Assam Recounts Pahalgam Terror Horror

Nishant Bhattacharjee recounted the harrowing experience that he and his family endured during the attack.

Nishant Bhattacharjee, son of Assam University professor Debashish Bhattacharjee who along with his parents narrowly escaped the brutal terror attack that left 28 people dead in Baisaran, near Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir paints a bone chilling picture of a day that began in peace with smiles and sunshine and ended in deaths, tragedy and trauma.

Speaking exclusively to Northeast Live, Nishant Bhattacharjee recounted the harrowing experience that he and his family endured during the attack.

“We were just roaming around Baytur Valley in Pahalgam. There were sports activities going on, trampoline jumps, and there was a crowd of 300 to 400 people. We were at the rear end of the entrance when I heard a shot. I saw the first victim fall,” Nishant recalled.

He said that at first, he mistook the noise to be part of the recreational activities. Besides, at first even the locals brushed off the sound of gunfire as forest patrol gunfire as the area is forested.

“It did not strike to me as something serious until I saw a man walking towards us. Then I noticed another 4 to 5 armed men positioned on higher ground. Before they reached us, they interacted with a couple nearby. The second shot was fired, and another man collapsed. That’s when I knew we were under attack,” he said.

“I called my mother, who was already lying on the ground with 12–15 other terrified tourists. One of the attackers pointed a gun at my father. They asked us at gunpoint to read the Kalma (Kalma refers to the 6 Kalimas, which are phrases articulating core Islamic beliefs). One man tried to run, he was just an arm’s length away from me and he was shot dead. Blood was everywhere,” said Nishant.

He said that his family escaped into the forest, where gunshots rang out for at least half an hour as they ran deeper into the woods.

“Even while escaping, we could still hear gunfire behind us. It was like being hunted,” Nishant said.

The serene tourist spot turned into a nightmare as 6 heavily armed men opened indiscriminate fire on tourists on Tuesday.

The attackers were equipped with US-made M4 carbines and AK-47/56 rifles.

The Resistance Front (TRF) linked to Pakistani terrorist Hafiz Saeed’s Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) has taken responsibility for the ghastly attack on terrorists.

While Nishant and his family escaped the attack, Corporal Tage Hailyang of the Indian Air Force, a brave son of Arunachal Pradesh died in the attack.

While visiting Pahalgam with his wife, Tage Hailyang’s life was cruelly taken in a senseless act of terror.

The attack, which claimed the lives of numerous innocent civilians, has drawn sharp condemnation from across the world.

Security forces have launched an intensive manhunt to trace the perpetrators.

The nation mourns the loss of bravehearts like Corporal Hailyang, whose dedication to service remains a shining example of patriotism and supreme sacrifice.

Also Read: Narrow Escape for Assam University Professor Debashish Bhattacharjee in Pahalgam Terrorist Attack. Terrorists Held Gun to His Forehead

Also Watch:

COMMENTS