The Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, which triggered worldwide condemnation, brought the operation of a long-active terror module working in Jammu and Kashmir to the forefront and even revealed the link of the 26/11 Mumbai attack and Lashkar chief Hafiz Saeed to the incident.
The Pahalgam attack is the deadliest witnessed by the Valley since the Indian government scrapped Article 370 in 2019 after the Narendra Modi-led government came to power for the second term.
The module is reportedly controlled directly by Lashkar chief Hafiz Saeed and his deputy Saifullah, both believed to be operating from Pakistan, the Indian news channel reported.
NDTV reported that Indian intelligence agencies maintain that the module receives not only ideological but also logistical and tactical guidance from Pakistan’s military and its intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
According to reports, the group is not only composed of foreign terrorists but also receives support from several locals and overground workers from Kashmir.
Pahalgam Attack
The terror attack, which has drawn widespread condemnation from world leaders, has led India and its arch-rival Pakistan to a fresh confrontation, a major one since the Pulwama terror attack which was backed by Pakistan-based militant group, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in 2019
The Modi government has taken tit-for-tat diplomatic steps against Pakistan, suspending the decades-old Indus Waters Treaty, closing the Attari-Wagah border with an immediate effect, cancelling Pakistani visas under SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme, asking the Pakistani advisors to leave India within a week and reducing the overall strength of High Commissions to 30 from the existing 55 effective from May 1, 2025.
Modi Promises Strong Retaliation
Promising a strong retaliation against Pakistan over one of the worst terror attacks that took place in the popular tourist spot in peak season of tourism, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the terrorists and their backers will pay unimaginable costs for the attack on innocent tourists.
Addressing a rally in Bihar’s Madhubani, Modi said: “From the soil of Bihar I tell the whole world that India will identify them and punish every terrorist and their backers. We will pursue them to the end of the earth. India’s spirit will never be broken by terrorism. Terrorism will not go unpunished.”
