PM Modi returns, holds key meet; Rahul dials Shah as Pahalgam terror attack prompts high-level response | 10 points

The deadly terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on Tuesday triggered high-level reactions across India’s political leadership, prompting changes in schedules and immediate action, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi cutting short his visit to Saudi Arabia and home minister Amit Shah departing for J&K to oversee the situation on the ground.

Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi reached out to Amit Shah over the phone on Wednesday morning to take stock of the developments.

Authorities said terrorists opened fire at at Baisaran, a popular tourist spot near Kashmir’s Pahalgam town, on Tuesday afternoon, killing 26 people, mostly holidayers from other states. This marked the deadliest attack on civilians in the Valley since years.

Pahalgam terrorist attack | Top 10 updates

–PM Modi cuts short Saudi trip: Prime Minister Narendra Modi rushed back to India from Saudi Arabia and landed in Delhi on Wednesday morning in view of the Pahalgam terrorist attack that killed 26, mostly tourists, on Tuesday.

– PM Modi holds meet at airport: Immediately on his arrival from Saudi Arabia, PM Modi took a briefing meeting at the airport with national security advisory, external affairs minister, foreign secretary to discuss the situation in view of the Pahalgam terror attack, PTI news agency reported.

– Amit Shah rushes to Kashmir: Home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday left for Jammu and Kashmir, shortly after the terrorist attack was reported. Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police Nalin Prabhat briefed the home minister upon his arrival, according to PTI. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah, Union home secretary Govind Mohan and director of Intelligence Bureau Tapan Deka were present at the time of the briefing.

– Rahul Gandhi dials Amit Shah: Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said he had spoken with home minister Amit Shah, Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah and Congress’ J&K unit president Tariq Karra about the Pahalgam terror attack to take stock of the situation. The families of victims deserve justice and our fullest support, he said in a post on X.

– Congress president speaks to Shah: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also said he spoke to Amit Shah late Tuesday about what he called the “despicable carnage in Pahalgam”. “The perpetrators of this heinous terror attack must not go unpunished. The innocent victims must get justice,” Mallikarjun Kharge said in a post on X.

– Nirmala Sitharaman cuts short foreign trip: Following the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman also cut short her official visit to the US and Peru. Sitharaman will depart for India at the earliest, according to an official statement on Wednesday. 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.

– World reacts: US President Donald Trump, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer led global outcry over the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on Tuesday and extended unstinting support. Donald Trump said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the “incredible people of India, have full support” of the US and deepest sympathies.

–The Pahalgam terror attack: The attack, which happened amid US Vice President JD Vance’s India visit, comes at a time tourist and trekking season is picking up momentum. The gunfire broke out around 3 pm in Baisaran, an expansive meadow known as ‘mini Switzerland’ as it is ringed by dense pine forests and mountains. Terrorists came into the grassland and started firing at tourists milling around eateries, taking pony rides or just picnicking, officials and witnesses said.

–TRF claims responsibility: As news of the terrorist attack on tourists in Pahalgam broke, The Resistance Front (TRF)—a shadow outfit linked to the banned Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)—claimed responsibility for the assault. According to officials cited in a PTI report, it is suspected that the attackers may have infiltrated from Kishtwar in Jammu and made their way to Baisaran via Kokernag in South Kashmir.

– The victims: Officials had by Wednesday morning identified all of the 26 victims. The 26 dead included tourists from several states including Karnataka, Maharashtra, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. At least one person from Gujarat, three from Tamil Nadu and some from Maharashtra were among the injured.