PM Modi, Flying Back From Saudi After Pahalgam Attack, Skips Pak Airspace
New Delhi:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi 's plane - Air India One - did not cross Pakistan airspace as he flew back from Saudi Arabia late Tuesday, to deal with the aftermath of the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, in which 26 people, including tourists and civilians, were killed.
Visuals from a flight tracking website confirmed the PM's Indian Air Force Boeing 777-300 did cross Pak airspace as he flew to Riyadh Tuesday morning, but took a wide detour coming back.
On its way back it flew a direct route over the Arabian Sea before crossing the Indian peninsula -entering via Gujarat - and then flying north back in to Delhi. This route avoided Pak airspace.
@PMOIndia avoids Pak airspace as he returns to India. His IAF Boeing 777-300 (K7067) had flown over Pak airspace when he travelled to Riyadh on his outward journey. pic.twitter.com/wLE0vPnxuZ
— Vishnu Som (@VishnuNDTV) April 23, 2025
The re-routing has been seen as a clear sign that India's security agencies are aware of the threat emerging from Pakistan at this time and, for the safety of the Prime Minister and the delegation on board, decided it was prudent to alter the flight path on the way home.
The PM landed at the Palam Air Force Base in Delhi early morning, after which he immediately held a meeting with Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
At least 26 people were killed in the Pahalgam attack that began around 2.30 pm Tuesday.
READ | 26 Killed In Pahalgam Attack, PM's Key Meet After He Cut Saudi Trip
Eyewitnesses said multiple terrorists descended on Baisaran Valley - a tourist hotspot with rolling hills and verdant orchards, and described as a 'mini-Switzerland', and opened fire.
Then panic set in and the tourists and locals ran for cover, but there was none to be found in the wide, open green space, underlining the insidious detail of planning that went into the attack.
Disturbing videos showed women, with blood splattered across their face, pleading after their husbands were shot dead in front of them. The visuals included a video of a woman standing next to a badly injured man, crying, "Please save my husband. For god's sake, save him."
READ | "Won't Kill You. Go, Tell Modi": Terrorist To Woman During Pahalgam Attack
Among the 26 killed in the attack was a Navy officer who was married a week ago and an Intelligence Bureau official shot dead in front of his wife. Another woman, whose husband too was killed in front of her, was 'spared' by the terrorist, who sneered and told her to "go tell Modi".
According to reports, The Resistance Front (TRF), a shadow group of the banned Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror group - operatives of which likely crossed over from Kishtwar in Jammu and reached Baisaran through Kokernag in south Kashmir - has claimed responsibility.
However, the government has not yet confirmed this.
PM Modi was on a State visit to Saudi Arabia when the attack happened.
However, he immediately spoke to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and directed him to personally visit the attack site. The Prime Minister then decided to cut short his trip.
He was scheduled to return Wednesday night.
'Evil Will Never Succeed', PM's Vow
The PM condemned the attack and, in an X post, said, "Those behind this heinous act will not be spared... their evil agenda will never succeed. Our resolve to fight terrorism is unshakeable..."
On his direction, Mr Shah reached Pahalgam Tuesday night; he had earlier held an emergency video call with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, and J&K Governor Manoj Sinha, as well as the heads of state and federal security agencies.
Mr Shah has vowed the government "will come down heavily on perpetrators".
An apoplectic Chief Minister Omar Abdullah called the terrorists "animals and inhuman". He also said the attack was "much larger than anything directed at civilians in recent years".
The opposition has also called for action against the terrorists.
Opposition Reacts
\Ex-Congress boss and Rajya Sabha MP Sonia Gandhi said "resorting to violence is an act of cowardice and needs to be condemned in no uncertain terms".
In a statement last night she said, "We share a deep resolve to defeat these divisive and violent forces. We need to work to build the broad social consensus against terror that existed in the past."
Current Congress boss Mallikarjun Kharge, senior leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav, and Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool leader Mamata Banerjee are some of the major opposition figures to have condemned the attack.
Renewal Of Attacks On Civilians?
The attack has been flagged as a possible return to the spate of civilian killings that rocked J&K last year. One of the deadliest of those attacks was in October, when six construction workers and a doctor were killed after terrorists opened fire at a labour camp in Ganderbal district.
The week before, the body of a labourer from Bihar was found in Shopian district.
The attacks prompted the rolling out a new security matrix to counter the targeting of civilians. The new grid, the government had said, will ensure a 'surprise' element essential for any counter-terror op.
Helplines for assistance on Pahalgam terror attack:
Emergency Control Room - Srinagar:
0194-2457543, 0194-2483651
Adil Fareed, ADC Srinagar - 7006058623
24/7 Tourist Help Desk - Police Control Room, Anantnag
9596777669 | 01932-225870
WhatsApp: 9419051940
Helplines by Jammu and Kashmir Tourist Department:
Please contact the following numbers for any assistance and information:
8899931010
8899941010
99069 06115 (Mudassir Tourist Officer)
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