24 Years Since the Qasim Nagar Massacre: LeT Terrorists Killed 29 Hindu Civilians in Jammu

24 years ago today, Pakistan sponsored Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists carried out one of the deadliest massacres in Jammu, killing 29 Hindu civilians and injuring more than 30 others in Qasim Nagar on July 13, 2002.

 

Situated on the outskirts of Jammu city, Qasim Nagar was a slum locality inhabited mostly by daily wage labourers. At around 8 pm, seven to eight terrorists, disguised as Hindu godmen, entered the locality. They hurled three to four grenades and opened indiscriminate fire with AK-47 rifles on civilians. Within minutes, the area turned into a scene of horror, with the bodies of men, women and children lying in pools of blood. Some civilians were killed on the spot, while others later succumbed to their injuries in hospital.

 

The victims included 29 Hindu civilians- 10 women, one three year old child, and 18 men. The brutal attack shocked the entire nation and was condemned by several countries, including the United States and Russia.

 

Police investigations later revealed that the massacre was carried out by the Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Seven terrorists involved in the attack, along with their kingpin Abu Umar, were later arrested.