Ahmedabad, 24 April

The wife of Surat resident Shailesh Kalathiya, who lost his life in the terror attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam, on Thursday said terrorists showed no remorse as they were seen laughing after shooting her husband dead.

Three Gujarat residents, including Kalathiya, were among the 26 persons killed in the terror attack in south Kashmir's Pahalgam town on Tuesday. Two other victims from the state - Yatish Parmar and his son Smit - were from Bhavnagar city.

The three deceased were cremated at their respective native places on Thursday as local residents joined their funeral processions amid outpouring of grief.

Shitalben Kalathiya, the wife of deceased Shailesh Kalathiya, was visibly upset when her husband's mortal remains were being taken to a crematorium from their house.

Talking to reporters, she said the terrorists showed no mercy as they were laughing after killing her husband from a very close range.

"A terrorist first came close to us and then shot my husband after learning that he is a Hindu. Just like my husband, other Hindu men were shot in front of their children. The terrorist was laughing after shooting my husband and did not leave the place till he died," she said.

Kalathiya's son Naksh performed the last rites of his father in Surat.

Talking to reporters later, Naksh said his father was singled out for being a Hindu and shot dead by a terrorist in front of him and his mother.

Shailesh Kalathiya was vacationing in Pahalgam along with his wife Shitalben, son Naksh and elder daughter Niti when the group of terrorists struck Baisaran.

"As soon as we heard gunshots, all the tourists started running in search of cover at Pahalgam. Two terrorists eventually found us and asked all of us to identify our religion. They divided men in two groups - Hindus and Muslims. Then, they shot dead all the Hindu men, including my father, and ran away," Naksh said.

"At the time of attack, there were nearly 20 to 30 tourists in that area. I feared that I would also be killed. After separating Hindus from Muslims, the terrorists asked them to recite 'kalma'. Muslims who recited it were spared. But those who could not recite were gunned down," he said.

At Bhavnagar, Smit Parmar's maternal cousin Sarthak Nathani explained how the terror attack took place.

Out of the total 20 persons who came to Srinagar from Bhavnagar, including the Parmar and Nathani family, 12 went to Pahalgam where they were targeted by terrorists.

He said the terrorists who had opened fire on tourists in that area were wearing green-coloured clothes like Army uniform and their faces were not covered.

"Everyone started running due to indiscriminate firing from all sides. Yatishbhai was shot dead by terrorists. I saw from some distance that a terrorist then asked Smit something and then pumped a bullet from a close range," Nathani said.