The 1998 Prankote massacre remains one of the darkest days in the history of Jammu and Kashmir, an event that starkly contrasts the region’s natural beauty. Militants, driven by a global jihadist ideology fostered during the Afghan-Soviet conflict, targeted the village of Prankote in a brutal attack that claimed the lives of 26 civilians. This essay delves into the roots of the conflict, tracing the rise of militancy from local separatist movements to a broader nexus of international jihad, and examines the consequences of this shift for the people and politics of Kashmir.