How a Brave Army Officer Saved Lives Amidst Terror in Pahalgam
A software professional from Mysuru, Karnataka, Prasanna Kumar Bhat, and his family narrowly escaped the brutal terrorist attack on April 22 in Baisaran near Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir.
Bhat, vacationing with his wife, brother—an Indian Army officer—and sister-in-law, described the horrifying ordeal in an emotional post on X. They had postponed their trip by two days due to weather and arrived at Baisaran around 1:35 PM. Just as they began exploring, gunfire erupted at approximately 2:25 PM.
What started as a serene day turned chaotic as the sound of automatic gunfire shattered the peace. Realizing the danger, Bhat’s brother acted swiftly—guiding 35-40 terrified tourists, including his family, away from the entry point toward a safer area behind a mobile toilet. They discovered a drainage gap in a fence, slipped through it, and fled downhill for cover.
The group hid in a shallow pit under dense trees, their hearts racing as bullets echoed across the valley. For nearly an hour, they remained still, gripped by fear. Around 4 PM, Indian Army forces secured the area and located the group, offering safety and relief.
Bhat credited his brother and the Indian Army for saving their lives. Though back home in Mysuru, the trauma lingers. “The sounds still haunt us,” he wrote, expressing pain that such brutality could exist in a land so beautiful.
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