Pahalgam terrorist attack: Search operation underway, J&K on high alert

Time of India

23-04-2025

NEW DELHI: At least 28 were killed after terrorists opened fire in group of tourists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam. The gruesome terror attack in Pahalgam is one of the biggest terror attacks after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
According to survivors, 6 foreign terrorists dressed in Army fatigues, identified their victims by faith asking them to tell their names and recite Islamic verses before spraying bullets on them from close range.
Here are the top development
PM Modi holds key meeting
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday landed in Delhi after cutting his two-day Saudi Arabia trip short. Immediately after touching down, PM Modi chaired a key meet with national security advisor Ajit Doval, EAM S Jaishankar and others to discuss the situation in view of the Pahalgam terror attack.
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Meanwhile, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman also preponed her arrival in India from her official visit to the US and Peru. Sitharaman arrived in the US on Sunday for a six-day visit, after which she was scheduled to travel to Peru for a five-day trip.
Rahul speaks with Amit Shah, CM Omar Abdullah
Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi spoke to Union home minister Amit Shah and took stock of the situation after the terror attack
In a social media post on X, the Congress leader said that he has also spoken to chief minister Omar Abdullah and J&K pradesh Congress committee president Tariq Karra over the attack and advocated justice and support for the victims.
"Spoke with HM Amit Shah, J&K CM Omar Abdullah, and J&K PCC president Tariq Karra about the horrific Pahalgam terror attack. Received an update on the situation. The families of victims deserve justice and our fullest support," Rahul said.
The Congress on Tuesday had asked the government to take accountability for the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir instead of making "hollow claims" on the situation being normal in the Union Territory, and demanded that an all-party meeting be called to take political parties into confidence.
The opposition party denounced the terror attack as a blot on humanity and said it should not go "unanswered effectively."
Search operation underway, J&K on high alert
Security forces carried out a major manhunt, combing the area to track down the terrorists responsible.
"The search operation is currently in progress, with all efforts focused on bringing the attackers to justice," the Indian army's Chinar Corps said in a statement overnight.
Security has been beefed up since the attack, with streets being deserted in the usually bustling tourist area.
Kashmir bandh
In response to the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, several political parties in Jammu and Kashmir have extended their support to the call for a Kashmir Bandh (shutdown) on Wednesday to condemn the attack and show solidarity with the victims' families.
Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) has appealed to the people to make the Bandh a "complete success" and join in condemning the Pahalgam terror attack.
In a social media post on X, JKNC wrote, "On the instruction of the Party President, JKNC joins the collective call for a bandh in strong condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack. We appeal to the people of J&K to ensure the hartal called by religious and social leaders is a complete success."
Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti has expressed solidarity with the victims' families and supported the shutdown, calling it an "attack on all of us."
"The Chamber and Bar Association Jammu has called for a complete shutdown tomorrow in protest against the horrific militant attack on tourists. I appeal all Kashmiris to unite in solidarity to support this bandh as a mark of respect for the innocent lives lost in the brutal assault in Pahalgam. This isn't just an attack on a select few--it is an attack on all of us. We stand together in grief and outrage & strongly support this shutdown to condemn the massacre of innocents," Mufti posted on X.
Tourists flee Kashmir
Following the attacks, a wave of fear and uncertainty has gripped tourists as many of them vacated hotels in Srinagar, Anantnag and Gulmarg.
Chandrakant Kale, an IMD official from Pune, had just left Pahalgam with his wife moments before the attack. 'We came to know about it while we were on the way to Srinagar. I felt totally shaken,' Kale said over the phone.
Pune-based lawyer Vijaysinh Thombare, currently in Srinagar with his wife NCP neta Rupali Patil-Thombare, said tourists are alarmed and eager to leave. 'Most of us are scared and want to leave J&K as soon as possible,' he said.
'We were at Pahalgam Sunday, then moved to Gulmarg the following day. Today, we were enjoying a gondola ride when soldiers instructed all tourists to vacate and return to hotels,' he added.
Many tourists in Pahalgam and surrounding areas left for Srinagar, vacating hotels. 'They panicked and didn't want to stay,' a hotelier said. However, they couldn't proceed to Jammu due to the highway being closed because of landslides.