Pahalgam terror attack live: PM Narendra Modi cut short his official visit to Saudi Arabia and returned to Delhi today, skipping the official dinner.
At the airport, he was received by NSA (national security advisor) Ajit Doval and external affairs minister S. Jaishankar, and was briefed on in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which has so far resulted in the loss of at least 26 lives, though no official death toll has yet been released.
Condemnation for the attack has poured in from all quarters, cutting across political and religious lines. Kashmir valley against a terror attack for the first time in 35 years on Wednesday as organisations from all walks of life supported the bandh call to protest the killings in Pahalgam, officials said.
Emergency help desk numbers at Anantnag: 95967 77669/ 01932225870/ WA: 94190 51940
Emergency control room Srinagar: 0194-2457543/2483651 or Adil Fareed, ADC: 70060 58623
Declare Pakistan ‘terrorist organisation’: Sibal to Centre
Asserting that Pakistan was behind the Pahalgam terror attack, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Wednesday urged the government to declare Pakistan a “terrorist organisation” and file prosecution against that country in the International Criminal Court to give a message to the world that this is unacceptable.
“It’s a very well-thought-out, well-planned terrorist attack because the Baisaran (meadow) valley is just half-an-hour away from Pahalgam, which is a high-security zone… those who attacked knew you can’t reach the Baisaran valley from Pahalgam except on ponies and it will take time to reach there,” the Independent Rajya Sabha MP told PTI Videos.
The attack was claimed by the Resistance Front (TRF), a shadow group of the banned Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror group, and LeT is in Pakistan, he said.
“I would urge our home minister (Amit Shah) to include Pakistan as a terrorist organisation under the terror act. Just as other heads of state are being prosecuted in the international court, we should also file prosecution in the international criminal court that will give a message to the rest of the world as well as to the 1.4 billion people in India that we are not going to accept all this and urge the international community as well as America to boycott Pakistan,” Sibal said.
“This (Pakistan) is a failed state. It has become a terrorist state if you sponsor terrorism in this fashion,” he said.
Sibal said the intent of the terrorists was to instil fear in the minds of the people so that tourists don’t go to Jammu and Kashmir.
“It is so well planned, when they reached there, they segregated the men from the families….They knew that this was a place where non-Kashmiris go, non-locals are there, innocent people are there. With the statement of the Pakistan general, it is clear that Pakistan is behind it, and this should not be accepted,” the former Union minister said.
Assertion of ‘Kashmiriyat’
More and more reports are coming in from Kashmir of the generosity and bravery of locals in the face of the terror attack in Pahalgam. Particularly touching is the story of Syed Adil Hussain Shah, who ferried tourists on his horse in Pahalgam, and was shot dead as he reportedly attempted to snatch a firearm from one of the terrorists.
That apart, there was the driver who sheltered a group of stranded tourists in his own home, not only providing them with food and safety but also ensuring their well-being until further help could arrive, and the auto drivers who have announced free rides for tourists.
With placards reading, ‘I am Indian’, traders in Pahalgam and Srinagar’s Lal Chowk stage protests, along with Bar Association members in Baramulla.
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Major Kashmiri dailies go dark
All major newspapers in Kashmir printed their front pages in black today as a protest against the terror attack. The coordinated move by leading English and Urdu dailies such as Greater Kashmir, Rising Kashmir, Kashmir Uzma, Aftab, and Taimeel Irshad was a symbolic expression of grief, while calling for peace, vigilance and solidarity.
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Direct attack on the Indian state: Congress calls CWC meet on Pahalgam
“This is a direct attack on the Indian state. The whole country is shocked. The Pakistani terrorist organisation has taken responsibility for this. We will have to give a befitting reply to this,” Kharge said.
“Since the Chittisinghpura massacre in 2000, this ranks among the most brazen and outrageous attacks by terrorists. The perpetrators of this heinous terror attack must not go unpunished…” Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said at a press conference in Delhi, while announcing that the Congress Working Committee (CWC) will meet tomorrow, 24 April, at 11.00 am in Delhi to deliberate on the situation.
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‘Not in my name!’
Not in my name. That was the clear message that went out from Kashmir today, with people pouring into the streets across towns and villages to express their anguish and condemn the terror attack in Pahalgam.
Srinagar city and other parts of Kashmir witnessed a shutdown, perhaps a first in recent memory. A common occurrence before August 2019, when Article 370 of the Constitution was abrogated, this was the first shutdown in Kashmir in nearly six years.
While Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti apologised to the people of the country and said Kashmiris were ashamed of the incident during a protest march in Srinagar, the ruling National Conference too marched to the Lal Chowk city centre to protest the attack.
People from all walks of life denounced the attack on the tourists, saying the perpetrators were hitting at the foundation of the valley’s economy.
“This should not happen – not in the name of Kashmir and not in the name of Islam. Islamic teachings value human life to the point that taking an innocent life is akin to killing the entire humanity,” Haji Bashir Ahmad Dar, a resident of Srinagar city, told PTI.
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Getting tourists out
One-way traffic restored on Jammu-Srinagar highway; train from Katra to New Delhi launched for stranded passengers.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah has called for a special cabinet meeting this evening to discuss the terror strike, officials said.
The meeting will discuss the impact of the devastating strike on tourism in Jammu and Kashmir, which was gearing up for the peak summer season, they said. Tourism is the mainstay of the economy in Kashmir, the officials pointed out. The government may call for an all-party meeting tomorrow to discuss the crisis, they said
The Pahalgam Taxi Owners Association protests the terror attack during a bandh in Anantnag district
DGCA asks airlines to increase Srinagar flights
Aviation watchdog DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) has asked airlines to increase the number of flights from Srinagar to facilitate the return of tourists in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack.
Besides, the DGCA has requested the carriers to consider waiving cancellation and rescheduling fees for Srinagar flight tickets. In its advisory, DGCA said in the aftermath of the incident in Pahalgam, there is an unexpected demand from tourists seeking to return to their homes.
“In this regard, the airlines are advised to take swift action to increase the number of flights in response to heightened demand and also to ensure uninterrupted connectivity from Srinagar to various destinations across India, facilitating evacuation of stranded tourists,” it said.
According to the advisory, airlines have also been asked to provide all necessary assistance to tourists facing unexpected circumstances and challenges during this difficult time.
Air India and IndiGo are operating additional flights from Srinagar today. Meanwhile, the civil aviation ministry has asked airlines to ensure there is no surge in airfares on the Srinagar route.
Defence minister holds high-level meeting with Doval, IAF chief
Union defence minister Rajnath Singh today reviewed the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir in the aftermath of the terror attack in Pahalgam.
Chief of defence staff Gen. Anil Chauhan, three service chiefs, defence secretary and the Army’s director-general of military operations were present at the meeting, sources said.
It is learnt that Singh directed the armed forces to enhance their combat readiness and increase intensity of anti-terror operations.
Attackers asked Christian LIC officer to recite ‘kalma’ before killing him, say kin
The terrorists who targeted tourists in Pahalgam asked an LIC manager from Indore, who belonged to the Christian community, to recite the kalma before shooting him dead, his relatives claimed today, and demanded harshest punishment for the assailants.
Sushil Nathaniel (58), who had gone to Jammu and Kashmir with his wife, daughter and son to celebrate Easter, was among the 26 people killed in the terror attack in Pahalgam on Tuesday.
Nathaniel was posted as a manager with the Life Insurance Corporation of India in Madhya Pradesh’s Alirajpur, about 200 km from Indore. His cousin Sanjay Kumrawat told PTI, “We have spoken to his wife and son over the phone. They told us that the terrorists asked Sushil’s name and forced him to kneel, they then asked him to recite the kalma (phrase articulating Islamic faith). When Sushil said he could not, the terrorists shot him.”
When Nathaniel’s daughter Akanksha (35) ran to him seeing bullets fired at her father, the terrorists shot her in the leg, Kumrawat said. Akanksha is undergoing treatment in Jammu and Kashmir, he said.
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‘Sarva dharma’ prayer meet for victims
Religious leaders from various faiths attended a ‘sarva-dharma’ (all-religion) prayer at New Delhi’s Kasturba Gandhi Marg mosque to pay tribute to the Pahalgam terror attack victims
Photo: Vipin/NH
Jharkhand man held for ‘controversial’ post on Pahalgam terror attack
One person was arrested in Jharkhand’s Bokaro district today after he allegedly uploaded a controversial social media post regarding the Pahalgam terror attack, a police official said.
The individual, identified as Md Naushad, purportedly praised Pakistan and for the terror strike in a post on X, the official added.
“He was arrested from Millat Nagar under the jurisdiction of the Balidih police station. He is being interrogated,” said Naveen Kumar, officer-in-charge of Balidih police station.
Rahul Gandhi speaks to Amit Shah
In an X post, Congress MP and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has written, “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.”
In another X post last evening, Gandhi had also demanded accountability from the Union government. “The whole country is united against terrorism. Instead of making hollow claims of the situation being normal in Jammu and Kashmir, the government should now take accountability and take concrete steps so that such barbaric incidents do not happen in the future and innocent Indians do not lose their lives like this.”
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‘Israel-like’ strike?
Former DGP of J&K Shesh Paul Vaid has blamed Special Service Group commandos of the Pakistani Army for the Pahalgam attack, and called for an “Israel-like strike” to retaliate, as per a report in Rising Kashmir
Maharashtra reports highest death toll
Maharashtra suffered the highest toll in the attack, losing six citizens: Hemant Suhas Joshi from Mumbai, Atul Shrikant Moni from Dombivli, Sanjay Lakshman Lali from Thane, Dileep Dasali from Panvel, and two others, Santosh Jaghda and Kasturba Ganvotay, both from Pune.
Among the injured from the state are Manik Patel Panwel, who sustained minor injuries and is now stable, as well as Balachandru, Harsha Jain, and Nikita Jain, all of whom also suffered minor injuries and are under observation. Among the injured is Sobede Patil, who is being treated for a neck injury.
Gujarat lost three citizens to the attack – Sumit Parmar and his father Yatesh Parmar from Bhavnagar, and Shaileshbhai H. Himatbhai Kalathia from Surat. From Karnataka, three individuals were killed: Manju Nath Rao, Bharat Bhushan from Sunder Nagar in Bengaluru, and Madhusudan Samisetty.
Uttar Pradesh confirmed the death of Shubham Dwivedi from Sham Nagar in Kanpur. No injuries have been reported so far among others from the state.
Kerala lost N. Ramachandra, a resident of Kochi. Bihar’s only confirmed fatality is Manish Ranjan, a senior Intelligence Bureau officer originally from the state, who was posted in Hyderabad.
Chandigarh reported the death of Dinesh Agarwal, son of P.C. Agarwal. His death was confirmed later in the day by hospital sources. Haryana lost Vinay Narwal, a resident of Karnal and an official of the Indian Navy, stationed at the Southern Naval Command in Kochi. The young man had only recently married and was on his honeymoon.
Madhya Pradesh lost Sushil Nathyal from Indore. Odisha recorded the death of Prashant Kumar Satpathi from Malashwar. He was among the early victims identified.
Nepal lost one of its citizens, Sudeep Neupane from Batwali Ropandi, in the gunfire. Another Nepali national, Renu Panday, was among the injured. She sustained minor injuries and is under medical care.
From Arunachal Pradesh, the deceased has been identified as Tagehalying, an Air Force employee from Ziro. He was the only fatality reported from the Northeast. Andhra Pradesh recorded the death of J. Sachandra Moli from Pandoranguram, Vishakhapatnam.
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No fireworks, cheerleaders in MI vs SRH IPL match; players to sport black armbands
The players of Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians will wear black armbands during their IPL match which will not feature cheerleaders and fireworks in Hyderabad today to mourn the victims of the terrorist attack.
The teams will also observe a minute’s silence to pay their respects to those affected by the incident that has drawn international condemnation. “The players of two teams will wear black armbands and observe a minute’s silence in memory of all those who lost their lives in the terrorist attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam,” a BCCI source told PTI.
“As a mark of respect, there would be no cheerleaders on the sidelines of MI vs SRH game. No crackers will be burst,” he added.
Three from Bengal died in Pahalgam terror attack, grim hour for state: Mamata
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee today confirmed that three persons from the state were killed in the terror attack.
Describing it as a “grim hour” for the state, Banerjee said her government was making all arrangements to get family members of the victims back home from New Delhi under her personal supervision.
“As per the latest updated information made available to us, three persons from our state have died in the most unfortunate Kashmir violence,” Banerjee said in a post on X.
The three deceased are Bitan Adhikari of Baishnabghata in Kolkata, Samir Guha of Sakher Bazar in Kolkata and Manish Ranjan of Jhalda in Purulia district.
“All arrangements are being put up by our administration at Delhi Airport to help the family members of the victims and their onward journey to Kolkata. Flight is likely to arrive in Kolkata at 8.30 pm today,” Banerjee said.
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Search ops on for Pahalgam perpetrators
Army, Navy chiefs have briefed Union defence minister Rajnath Singh. additional troops have been rushed to the Pahalgam area to carry out search operations
Photo: PTI
Impact on tourism
Farooq Kuthoo, former president of the Travel Agents’ Association of Kashmir and executive committee member of Kashmir Chamber of Commerce & Industry, tells NH: ”As a stakeholder in the local tourism industry for years, let me first say that our concern is not about losing business at the moment. We are deeply saddened at this incident and fall short of words on how to describe it.
“We appeal to the government of India to find out whoever is responsible for such a heinous act, and deal with them. There is a bandh in Kashmir today in solidarity with lives lost. Yes, several of the tourists are trying to cut short their holiday plans, it’s a bit of kneejerk reaction but at the end of the day, we are all human beings. There is bound to be some repercussion on the tourist inflow which only time can tell.”
Visuals of the shutdown from Srinagar
Mehbooba leads protest march
Syed Hussain Shah of Anantnag, a pony operator in Pahalgam and the only earning member of his family, was also killed in the attack.
Former J&K chief minister and PDP (People’s Democratic Party) chief Mehbooba Mufti today led a march of party leaders and workers to protest the terror attack. Mufti and her party workers assembled at the party headquarters near Sher-e-Kashmir Park in Srinagar, from where they began the protest march.
Carrying placards that read ‘this is an attack on all of us’, ‘killing innocents is an act of terror’, and ‘stop innocent killings’, the march ended at Lal Chowk city centre.
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Tourists trapped in Kashmir as militancy and floods paralyse travel
Over 50 tourists from Goa are among countless others from across India left stranded in Jammu and Kashmir after the Pahalgam attack compounded the chaos already caused by and landslides.
Travel operators in Kolkata, too, are apprehensive of a fallout from the attack. Sudipto Mukherjee, director of Citi Safari which organised a promotional campaign on behalf of J&K Tourism in the city soon after the Covid pandemic, says he received his first cancellation request this morning. ”I received the first call from a family who had booked a visit in the last week of May. They now want to visit Arunachal Pradesh instead, while there are a few queries for Himachal,” he told NH.
Authorities release sketches of suspects
ThePrint reports from the ground that four Lashkar-e-Taiba activists, including two local men with body cams carried out the attack at Pahalgam. Authorities have released sketches of three suspected terrorists involved in the attack, hoping to potentially identify the perpetrators.
The men are Asif Fauji, Suleman Shah and Abu Talha, officials said. The three also had code names – Moosa, Yunus and Asif – and were allegedly involved in terror-related incidents in Poonch.
Amit Shah likely to return to Delhi today
Union home minister Amit Shah visited Baisaran meadows, the scene of the gruesome killings, officials said.
After attending a wreath laying ceremony for the victims of the terror attack at the police control room in Srinagar, Shah flew in a chopper to Baisaran meadows, around 110 km away, they said.
As per media reports, Shah is likely to return to Delhi at around 5.00 pm today to attend meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security.
Congress MP K.C. Venugopal lays a wreath in tribute to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack (photo: @kcvenugopalmp/X)
J-K govt announces Rs 10 lakh ex-gratia for kin of each deceased; Rs 2 lakh for seriously injured
The Jammu and Kashmir government on Wednesday announced an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh for the families of each of those killed in the Pahalgam terror attack on Tuesday.
Making the announcement, J-K chief minister Omar Abdullah said in a post on X, “Deeply shocked and anguished by the despicable terrorist attack in Pahalgam yesterday. This barbaric and senseless act of brutality against innocent civilians has no place in our society. We condemn it in the strongest possible terms. We mourn the precious lives lost.”
The chief minister said no amount of money can ever compensate for the loss of loved ones, but as a mark of support and solidarity, the J-K government announces an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh each for the families of the deceased. The chief minister also announced Rs 2 lakh for those seriously injured, and Rs 1 lakh for those with minor injuries.
All arrangements have been made to transport of the mortal remains of the deceased back to their homes in a dignified manner, Abdullah said.
“The injured are being provided the best medical care. Our hearts go out to the bereaved families. We share in your grief and stand by you in this dark hour,” Abdullah said.
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Pakistan condoles attack
Pakistan foreign office spokesman Shafqat Khan on Wednesday conveyed Pakistan’s condolences on the killing of tourists. Pakistan is concerned at the attack, he told the media
Bodies of Pahalgam victims in Srinagar
Amit Shah pays tribute to victims
Bodies of 26 victims were were brought to the Government Medical College (GMC) in Srinagar early Wednesday and then taken to the police control room, where Union home minister Amit Shah laid wreaths on them.
Shah, who reached Srinagar on Tuesday night, assured the survivors of the attack that the perpetrators of the dastardly act would be brought to justice, officials said.
Alleged mastermind?
Several Indian media outlets have quoted unattributed intelligence sources identifying the mastermind behind the Pahalgam attack as Saifullah Khalid, a commander of the Pakistan-backed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba, whose affiliate The Resistance Front (TRF) has claimed responsibility for the attack. No official confirmation of Khalid’s involvement is available as yet.