"Many Who Helped": Pahalgam Hero Who Carried Injured Boy On His Back

The massive terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, while spreading shock and horror, also threw up hope, with multiple heroes stepping forward from among the locals. One such was Sajjad Ahmed Bhatt. A video of him carrying a boy, injured when the terrorists opened fire on a group of tourists, killing 26 people, has been widely circulated. The video shows Mr Bhatt running downhill over the rocky terrain, his steps never faltering. The boy was on his back, clad in Mr Bhatt's orange jacket to keep him warm. 

"I was just one person whose video was taken and circulated. There were many people who were doing the same," Mr Bhatt told NDTV. Pahalgam has no proper hospital and anyone injured has to be taken to the Anantnag district hospital 40 km away.

Mr Bhatt said he was nearby that day to attend the funeral of his aunt, when he heard of the terror attack and the call to locals for help. He made his way to the spot, where a huge number of people had gathered to help the many injured. Those who could sit were placed on ponies and moved to the hospital.

He had carried the boy who had blood over his face and body, without stopping to ask for name. "The boy's mother was being carried by a pony handler who was right behind me," he said. That man was not photographed, he said. 

Asked if he was scared, he said, "We would not have been able to help if we were scared. We were a bit scared of course, but it was a matter of humanity. One is human first, religion comes later... They murdered humanity there that day".

Twenty-six people had died on Sunday afternoon as terrorists from a Lashkar-e-Taiba offshoot, unleashed havoc on the scenic meadows of Baisaran and left a bloodbath. Among the 25 tourists who died, one was a Nepali national. The rest came from 14 states across India. 

The government has vowed retaliation and already taken several non-military action that includes indefinite suspension of the Indus Water Treaty, shutting the Attari border and revoking visas of all Pakistan nationals currently in India. From Sunday, all visas, including medical visas become invalid and the people have 72 hours to leave the country.