UNITED NATIONS, Wednesday, April 23, 2025 (WNP): United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has strongly condemned a deadly armed assault in Indian-occupied Kashmir that left at least 28 people dead on Tuesday.

The condemnation came through UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric during a daily press briefing at the UN Headquarters in New York. Citing media reports, Dujarric said the attack occurred near the town of Pahalgam, where a gunman opened fire on a group of civilians.

“The Secretary-General expresses his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims,” said Dujarric, emphasizing that “attacks against civilians are unacceptable under any circumstances.”

When asked whether the Secretary-General was concerned that the attack might escalate tensions in the region or lead to cross-border conflict, Dujarric refrained from speculating.

“We’re not going to predict or analyze what may happen,” he said. “We are focusing on this horrific terror attack in which more than 20 people were killed, which we strongly condemn. I will leave it to analysts to assess whether it could lead to a rise in tensions.”

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, which has drawn widespread condemnation and renewed concerns about the fragile security situation in the region.