Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held an important meeting on Wednesday with National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, Army Chief General Upendra Dwiwedi, and Navy Chief Dinesh Tripathi to discuss the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 people, mostly tourists.
The session revolved around the current security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, ANI sources said. The matter is further likely to be discussed in a Cabinet Committee on Security meeting to be held later today.
After the attack, the defence minister was briefed on the situation at Pahalgam and neighboring areas by Army Chief General Dwiwedi and Navy Chief Tripathi. Sources reported that security personnel have increased alertness in the area, and more troops are being deployed to conduct search and destroy missions intended to arrest the terrorists involved.
“Additional troops have been deployed in the regions surrounding the site of attack to conduct search and destroy operations,” the source disclosed.
Earlier, Singh had shown his ‘deep anguish’ over the attack, terming it as a ‘cowardly and reprehensible’ act against innocent civilians. He tweeted on X, “Deeply anguished by the news of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam (Jammu & Kashmir). This dastardly attack on innocent civilians is an act of cowardice and highly reprehensible. My thoughts and prayers are with the innocent victims and their families.”
The attack, which occurred on Tuesday afternoon at Baisaran meadow along Pahalgam, also referred to as ‘mini Switzerland,’ claimed the life of a naval officer, Lieutenant Vinay Narwal.
On Wednesday, security forces unveiled sketches of the suspects behind the fatal attack, and a large manhunt was launched to take the culprits into custody. The suspects have been identified as Asif Fauji, Suleman Shah, and Abu Talha, and they also have code names of Moosa, Yunus, and Asif. These individuals have been known to be connected to earlier terror-related attacks in Poonch.
