GUWAHATI: Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Wednesday confirmed that the dastardly Pahalgam terrorist attack on April 22, 2025, was conducted by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) affiliated terrorists with active support from Pakistan.
The attack, which resulted in the deaths of 25 Indian tourists and a Nepali national, was among the worst attacks on civilians in Jammu and Kashmir in recent years.
Addressing a high-level press conference, Misri disclosed ghastly facts about the attack. "The terrorists killed the victims in the head in front of their family members and intimidated the survivors to convey the message of terror," he stated. The aim, he stressed, was not merely to inflict casualties but to consciously traumatize families and undermine the return of peace and tourism to Jammu and Kashmir.
The Resistance Front (TRF), a subsidiary of Lashkar-e-Taiba, has taken responsibility for the bloodbath. "Pakistan's complicity in the Pahalgam terror attack has been established," Misri said, emphasizing the role of cross-border terror groups that have traditionally enjoyed Islamabad's patronage.
In retaliation for the horrific act, India initiated Operation Sindoor, a combined military operation carried out by the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force in the pre-dawn hours of May 7. The operation was aimed at nine large terror camps based in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Officials claimed that more than 100 terrorists were killed in the night-long operation.
Misri called the operation a required, proportional, and non-escalatory reaction to a heinous provocation. "Our intelligence agencies tracking the activities of terrorists have reported that there may be further attacks on India, and it was felt necessary to both prevent and address them," he said. The precision raids, he added, were directed exclusively against dismantling terrorist networks, not military installations, highlighting India's self-restrained but firm response."
"The Pahalgam attack was characterized by utmost brutality," Misri continued. "Victim family members were specifically spared to instill fear. This was a planned attempt to destabilize normalcy and stall the resurgence of tourism in Kashmir."
Also present at the briefing were top military officers, Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, who were instrumental in the planning and conduct of Operation Sindoor. They reaffirmed that the operation was successful in disabling terror camps without inflicting collateral damage on civilian geography or non-combatant infrastructure.
Misri concluded by stating that India has the right to defend itself against cross-border terrorism and will take strong action against any future threats. He requested that the international community hold Pakistan accountable for persisting in hosting and abetting terrorist elements.
The Ministry of External Affairs would brief foreign missions in New Delhi on the outcomes about the Pahalgam attack and India's reaction as a measure towards making efforts to marshal world opinion against state-sponsored terror.
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