Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in New Delhi early Wednesday, cutting short his state visit to Saudi Arabia following the terrorist attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam. Shortly after his arrival, the Prime Minister held an urgent briefing at Palam Airport with key officials, including External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, to discuss the situation and formulate a response to the attack.
PM Modi had been in Saudi Arabia on a two-day state visit at the invitation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. He was originally scheduled to return later on Wednesday but decided to cut his visit short in light of the terrorist attack. Reports indicate that he skipped the official dinner hosted by Saudi Arabia to return to India earlier than planned.
Earlier, the Prime Minister strongly condemned the terror attack in Pahalgam, which targeted tourists in the Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir. In a post on social media, Modi expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the victims, offering prayers for the injured. He also vowed that those responsible for the heinous act would be brought to justice.
“I strongly condemn the terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that the injured recover at the earliest. All possible assistance is being provided to those affected. Those behind this heinous act will be brought to justice…they will not be spared! Their evil agenda will never succeed. Our resolve to fight terrorism is unshakable, and it will get even stronger,” Modi said.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also cut short her official visit to the US and Peru following the attack, marking it as one of the most significant terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
Meanwhile, the Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police have launched a search operation in the Baisran area of Pahalgam, Anantnag, to track down and apprehend those responsible for the attack.
The incident has sparked widespread outrage, with candlelight marches held across several towns in Jammu and Kashmir, including Baramulla, Srinagar, Poonch, Kupwara, and Akhoor, as locals and political groups come together to condemn the attack.
Although the exact number of casualties is yet to be confirmed by the authorities, the attack has left the nation in shock and has triggered a wave of national condemnation across political and social lines.
