Ahmedabad, Apr 24 (PTI) The bodies of three tourists hailing from Gujarat, who were among the 26 persons killed in the terror attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam, have reached Ahmedabad and Surat, officials said.

Shailesh Kalathiya from Surat, Yatish Parmar and his son Smit from Bhavnagar were among those killed in the horrific terror attack in Pahalgam on Tuesday.

The mortal remains of Yatish Parmar and his son Smit were brought to Ahmedabad airport in a flight from Mumbai. Kalathiya’s body was brought to Surat airport in another flight on Wednesday night.

Gujarat Health Minister Rushikesh Patel and Minister of State for Health Harsh Sanghavi paid floral tributes to the departed souls at the airport here, an official release said.

From the airport, the bodies of Parmar and his son were taken to Bhavnagar in a mortuary van, it said.

At Surat airport, Union minister CR Paatil and other dignitaries paid floral tributes to Kalathiya after his mortal remains were brought from Mumbai.

Kalathiya’s wife and two children, who survived the attack, were also brought to Surat by the same flight.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has already reached Bhavnagar as he will attend the last rites of Yatish and Smit Parmar on Thursday.

MoS Home Harsh Sanghavi will attend the last rites of Kalathiya in Surat on Thursday morning, said an official release.

Kalathiya’s family said his father Himmatbhai, who lives in Amreli district, has reached Surat.

Kalathiya (44), who belonged to Chikuwadi area in Surat city, shifted to Mumbai four years ago due to a job transfer. He had gone to Pahalgam with his wife and two children.

Yatish Parmar and his son Smit, residents of Kaliyabid area of Bhavnagar city, were among 19 persons from Bhavnagar who went to Kashmir on April 16 to attend religious preacher Morari Bapu’s discourse in Srinagar, sources said.

Bhavnagar collector Manish Kumar Bansal on Wednesday said other tourists were also scheduled to reach Mumbai from Srinagar by the same flight and then they will be brought to Bhavnagar in a luxury bus from Mumbai. PTI PJT PD GK