New Delhi, April 22 (IANS) Chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) Sonia Gandhi said on Tuesday that the entire country stands united against the terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam, Kashmir.

“The entire country stands united against terror. We share a deep resolve to defeat these divisive and violent forces. We need to work to build the broad social consensus against terror that existed in the past,” said the senior leader in a statement.

She added that she is deeply saddened and devastated to learn of the dastardly terror attack on innocent tourists in Pahalgam.

“Resorting to violence is an act of cowardice and needs to be condemned in no uncertain terms,” she said.

Sonia Gandhi added that she understands the pain of families who have lost their loved ones and extended her deepest condolences to them.

“I also pray for the complete and speedy recovery of those injured,” she said.

Sonia Gandhi said that it is imperative that the safety of the citizens is ensured and peace is restored in the region.

Notably, several tourists were reportedly killed and many others, including tourists & locals, were injured in a terror attack in Pahalgam hill station in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district on Tuesday, leading to the security forces launching a massive operation to hunt down the perpetrators.

As per reports, two to three terrorists wearing army fatigues came and fired at horse-riding tourists in the Baisran area around 2.30 p.m. Baisran is a small meadow 3 to 4 km from the Pahalgam market, and tourists take horses to reach the place as there is no motorable road to it.