New Delhi:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is chairing a crucial meet of the Cabinet Committee of Security or CCS to discuss the shocking terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that has cost 26 lives, and formulate India’s response to it. Union defence minister Rajnath Singh has already issued warning that there will be retaliation, which will be appropriate and swift.
Union minister Amit Shah, who was in Srinagar earlier today, reached the venue after landing in Delhi. Union defence minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and foreign minister S Jaishankar are also attending the meeting. Like yesterday, Mr Doval briefed the Prime Minister about the situation on the ground.
Last evening, terrorists had opened fire at the meadow of Baisaran — a tourist hotspot near Kashmir’s Pahalgam — had opened fire. They had asked the tourists about their religion and then shot the men in the head.
Twenty-six people — tourists from 14 states and two foreign nationals — were killed in what was the deadliest attack in the Kashmir Valley since the 2019 Pulwama strike.
The Resistance Front (TRF), a terrorist group seen as a proxy for the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, has claimed responsibility for the attack, which has sent shock waves across the country.
Earlier today, the Defence Minister issued a strong warning.
Without naming Pakistan, he said, “I assure people that the Government of India will take every step that is necessary and appropriate. And we will not only get those who have carried out this incident, we will also reach out to those who, sitting behind the scenes, have conspired to commit such nefarious acts on the soil of India”.
PM Modi, who cut short his visit to Saudi Arabia and was back in Delhi this morning, has condemned the attack and vowed to bring the guilty to book. In an emotional post on X last evening, Mr Modi said, “Those behind this heinous act will not be spared… their evil agenda will never succeed. Our resolve to fight terrorism is unshakeable…”
Earlier, after two major terror attacks at Uri and Pulwama, India had hit back, conducting a surgical strike and air strikes on terror camps across the Line of Control.
Both PM Modi and the foreign minister have referred to India’s response frequently. Mr Jaishankar has said that the government has made it clear that “if you come and do something here, you may be across the LoC, you may be across the international boundary- we will still come and get you there”.
