June 19, 1998, the Chapnari Massacre: A Brutal Attack by Islamist Terrorists Claimed the Lives of 25 Hindus
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On June 19, 1998, the village of Chapnari in the Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir was plunged into horror as Islamist terrorists carried out a brutal massacre, killing 25 Hindu villagers in cold blood. This heinous act was part of a broader campaign of violence aimed at destabilizing the region and ethnic-cleansing of Hindus.
The massacre, perpetrated by terrorists linked to the Pakistan-based terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), was met with strong condemnation from Indian leaders and underscored the ongoing threat posed by cross-border terrorism.
On that fateful evening, heavily armed terrorists infiltrated the peaceful village of Chapnari. The terrorists, equipped with automatic weapons, forcibly gathered the Hindu villagers. The victims were accompanying two marriage parties when they were attacked.
Without warning, the terrorists opened fire, executing the innocent men, women, and children at point-blank range. The brutality of the attack was shocking, with many victims shot multiple times to ensure they did not survive. This cold-blooded massacre left the small community devastated and in deep mourning.
The massacre resulted in the tragic loss of 25 Hindu lives, including men, women, and children. The victims were innocent civilians, targeted solely because of their religious identity. The attack not only caused immense grief and suffering for the families of the victims but also instilled a pervasive sense of fear and insecurity among the surviving villagers.
The massacre drew immediate and strong condemnation from Indian leaders. Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah described the attack as “yet another barbaric act of Pakistan-sponsored terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir.” He emphasized the ongoing threat posed by terrorism and the need for robust measures to protect civilians in the region.
India’s Home Minister, Lal Krishna Advani, who had recently assumed overall control of Indian policy in Jammu and Kashmir, condemned the killing of the villagers as “a clear attempt at ethnic cleansing.” He placed the responsibility for the attack, and other massacres of Hindus, squarely on Pakistan, highlighting its role in supporting and sponsoring terrorist activities in the region.
The Chapnari Massacre was part of a larger pattern of violence in Jammu and Kashmir during the 1990s and early 2000s. Such attacks by Pakistan sponsored terrorists were aimed at destabilizing the region, creating an atmosphere of fear, and ethnic-cleansing of Hindu population.