Pahalgam terror attack: PM cuts short Saudi visit; high-level security meet likely today
PM Modi is likely to assess Pahalgam terror fallout at key Cabinet Committee on Security meeting today
Prime Minister Modi during a high-level briefing at the New Delhi airport, on Wednesday. (Photo:@mygovindia/X)
Guwahati, April 23: Prime Minister Narendra Modi cut short his visit to Saudi Arabia and returned to New Delhi early Wednesday morning in the wake of the devastating terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that left about 26 people dead and several others injured.
Upon landing at the Delhi airport, the Prime Minister immediately reviewed the situation with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.
Modi is expected to chair a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) later in the day to assess the security fallout of the attack and coordinate further response measures, a national newswire reported.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who is part of the CCS along with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah, is also cutting short her official tour to the US and Peru.
“She is taking the earliest available flight back to India to be with our people in this difficult and tragic time,” her office said in a post on social media.
The brutal assault unfolded on Tuesday in the scenic Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam, a popular tourist destination, when terrorists opened indiscriminate fire on a group of visitors.
Initial reports point to The Resistance Front, an offshoot of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, as being responsible for the carnage—one of the deadliest attacks in the region in recent years.
In the diplomatic sphere, the Muslim World League has strongly condemned the attack and offered condolences to the victims’ families.
Secretary-General of the league, Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa personally met Prime Minister Modi in Jeddah before his return to India.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Al-Issa expressed deep sorrow over the incident and reiterated the League’s unwavering opposition to terrorism and extremism.
Prime Minister Modi, in turn, acknowledged the Muslim World League’s consistent efforts to promote moderation and interfaith harmony.
He recalled his earlier meeting with Al-Issa in July 2023 and praised the League’s role in advancing global tolerance and social cohesion.
The MEA further underlined the importance India places on its relationship with Saudi Arabia, describing the bilateral ties as an “enduring partnership” strengthened by close cultural and people-to-people connections.
As the nation mourns the victims, security agencies remain on high alert, with intensified operations underway to track down those responsible for the attack.
The coming CCS meeting is expected to chart the government’s next steps in addressing the evolving security situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
-With inputs from agencies