Among the 26 people killed in the militant attack in Pahalgam was a local pony ride operator, Syed Adil Hussain Shah, who died while bravely confronting one of the assailants.
The 26-year-old from Hapatnar village in Anantnag became the only local victim of the attack.
Eyewitnesses say Shah attempted to seize the rifle from a gunman in a desperate bid to stop the carnage. He was shot during the struggle. His act is being hailed as a symbol of courage for trying to protect the tourists.
Speaking to news agency ANI, Shah’s father, Syed Haider Hussain Shah, said he tried to call Syed at around 3 pm but his phone was switched off. “My son had gone to Pahalgam for work. Around 3 pm, we heard about the incident. We kept calling him, but his phone was off. At 4:40 pm, it switched on again, but no one answered. We rushed to the police station and that’s where we found out he had been injured. Whoever did this must be held accountable,” he said.
Shah, the sole breadwinner of his family, would manage to earn Rs 300–400 a day from his pony rides. He had recently suffered the loss of his newborn daughter.
The attack took place near Baisaran, a picturesque meadow located at the end of a steep seven-kilometre trail from Pahalgam. The remote location is inaccessible by road and reachable only on foot, horseback, or helicopter. Following the attack, pony riders like Shah helped rush the wounded down the trail on horseback to Pahalgam, from where they were taken to hospitals.
