Union Minister Amit Shah has departed for Srinagar to attend an emergency security review meeting with all the agencies. Twenty-six tourists died and some others were injured in a terrorist attack in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir today. Military helicopters have been put to use for the evacuation of wounded people in the attack, as the region is accessible only on foot or by horseback.
Union Minister Amit Shah has departed for Srinagar to attend an emergency security review meeting with all the agencies. He departed for the Union Territory after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called him and requested him to visit the attack location. There were sounds of gunfire in the higher meadows of Pahalgam’s Baisaran Valley, a meadow on a hill. Witnesses indicated that terrorists emerged from the woods and began firing indiscriminately.
Almost immediately after the attack, Amit Shah convened a meeting at his Delhi home, where Intelligence Bureau Director Tapan Deka and Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan were present, the sources revealed. CRPF director general Gyanendra Pratap Singh, J&K Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat and Army officials were also present on the video conference, they added. Mr Shah additionally met Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, they revealed.
An anti-terror operation has been initiated to neutralise terrorists, told Mr Sinha, claiming the “perpetrators of Pahalgam attack will have to pay a very heavy price for their heinous act”. Pahalgam, famous for its forests, crystal-clear lakes and vast meadows, is a favourite tourist destination and attracts thousands of tourists each summer.
Among the deceased was a realtor from Karnataka’s Shivamogga district who was allegedly gunned down in front of his son and wife. With news of the man’s murder, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah called an emergency meeting with top officials to get the details.
PM Modi, while condemning the attack strongly, asserted that the government’s “will to combat terrorism is unwavering and will only become even more robust.”. I strongly condemn the terror strike in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. My condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured. All help possible is being given to those affected.
Describing the attack as an “abomination”, Omar Abdullah wrote he was “shocked beyond belief”. “The perpetrators of this attack are animals, inhuman & deserving of contempt. No words of condemnation are sufficient. I extend my sympathies to the families of the victims,” he tweeted on X.
I’m appalled to the core. This is an outrage for our guests. The perpetrators of this outrage are animals, inhumane & deserving of contempt. There are no words of denouncement that are sufficient. I offer my condolences to the bereaved families.
