Northern Command chief describes the Pahalgam terror attack as an act of desperation

In the aftermath of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on Tuesday that left 26 tourists dead, former General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command, Lieutenant General DS Hooda said India has limited options available to retaliate against Pakistan, with military force emerging as the only viable route.

“Unfortunately, the way relations have gone with Pakistan, the only option left is the use of military force against each other,” he told The Tribune in response to the incident.

Pointing out that diplomacy is non-functional, he said there is no economic pressure that can be brought on Pakistan, US pressure on Pakistan has not really succeeded in the past, and China is too strongly in the Pakistani camp. That leaves only a hard, kinetic military option, he said.

“How to execute this option or whether to execute this option is something for the government to decide,” Lt Gen Hooda, who was the architect of the 2016 surgical strikes on terrorist camps across the Line of Control (LoC), said, while remaking that the manner in which Hindus were segregated and killed would put enormous pressure on the government to act.

The surgical strikes were in response to a terrorist attack on an Army camp in Uri, which claimed the lives of 18 soldiers. Similarly, in February 2019, after a suicide car bombing killed 40 CRPF personnel in Pulwama, India had carried out airstrikes on terrorist camps in Balakot in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.

Commenting on the timing of the latest attack, which occurred during PM Modi’s visit to Saudi Arabia and US Vice-President JD Vance’s trip to India, Hooda added it was a deliberate move to send out signals internationally that the Kashmir issue is still unsettled.

“The government has been saying that the situation in Jammu and Kashmir has improved and tourist inflow has increased. This attack conveys a message that the narrative is not correct,” he said.

On the role of the Pakistani Army in terror attacks, Hooda said that there is enormous pressure on them over the problems they are facing like unrest in Balochistan, and it is “their way of remaining relevant.”

Referring to recent statements by Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir on India-Pakistan relations, he said the Pakistan Army is under so much pressure that they are trying to show that they are still the ideological custodians.

Hooda also described the Pahalgam attack as an act of desperation.

“Unable to target security forces, terrorists are resorting to attacking civilians, who are soft and vulnerable targets. The kind of shock they send across the country and impact tourism is going to be enormous,” he said.

“Terrorism is a theatre. You are targeting not the people you kill, but the larger population. Social media narratives will incite the people in the country and try to create Hindu-Muslim divide and that’s the intent of these terrorists. I hope people do not fall prey to such attempts,” Lt Gen Hooda added.

Just six days ago, he was a groom — eyes filled with dreams, heart full of hope, holding the hand of his beloved as they promised forever.

Today, we grieve the loss of Navy officer Vinay Narwal, only 26, whose life was cruelly snatched away in the Pahalgam t*rror att@ck. A braveheart who chose duty above all, but destiny had other plans. The wedding flowers have barely wilted… the memories of the ceremony still fresh… and yet, his young bride now wears the silence of heartbreak, her dreams shattered before they even began.

The weight of this loss is unbearable. A son, a husband, a patriot — gone too soon.

How many more young lives must we lose to this endless cycle of violence?

India salutes you, Vinay. Your sacrifice will never be forgotten.

May your soul rest in peace. Strength and prayers for the family left behind, battling a grief no words can ever soothe.

Lt Gen Dhillon said that India would respond with a calculated approach, choosing the time and place for its actions rather than reacting impulsively

Jupinderjit Singh Tribune News Service

The recent terror attack in Pahalgam’s Baisaran Valley was executed with military-grade precision, says Lt Gen KJS Dhillon (Retd), an expert on Kashmir and military strategy. A former commander of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps, who led the operation against terrorists involved in the Pulwama attack in February 2019 and has years of experience in handling terrorism in Kashmir, said in an interview with The Tribune that the broader implications of the attack were an assault on Kashmir’s peace and livelihood.

“The local population is now a stakeholder in peace,” Dhillon said. “The locals do not want to go back to those dark days. This action by Pakistani terrorists is not against tourists; it is against the livelihood of local Kashmiris.”

He described the attack as a cowardly act, saying, “When you kill innocent, unarmed civilians who cannot retaliate against you, and you segregate people on the basis of religion and kill them in cold blood in front of their wives, brothers, daughters, or sisters, I think nothing can be more heinous than this.”

Dhillon emphasised that the killings would not be forgotten and there would be a response. “This particular incident will go down in history as one of the biggest crimes against humanity,” he warned. “The picture of a newlywed girl sitting haplessly next to her dead husband will haunt Pakistan for decades to come.”

He reasoned, “There is no jihad in this, no liberation war. You are not attacking security forces or the establishment; you are attacking innocent civilians.”

He noted that the terrorists likely trekked to the target area and completed their attack within 15-20 minutes, knowing that security forces would be unable to respond in time. This, he pointed out, reflects the distrust Pakistani agencies have in local Kashmiris, relying instead on Pakistani operatives for such actions.

Lt Gen Dhillon said that India would respond with a calculated approach, choosing the time and place for its actions rather than reacting impulsively. “For the response, we have to go at the time and place of our own choosing, and we have to keep Pakistan guessing as to where the response is,” he said. He emphasised that militaries and nations never respond in anger, but rather with resoluteness and confidence in their abilities.

“Nations and militaries act with a feeling of resoluteness, with full confidence in their abilities,” he said. “They will strike at the place and time of their choosing.” He cautioned that India’s planning should be robust enough to respond to a potential second strike, and that the second strike should be significantly stronger than the first to deter any further action.

#TheTribuneInterview #KashmirAttack #GeneralHooda In this edition of #TheTribuneInterview, The Tribune’s editor-in-chief Jyoti Malhotra spoke to the former Northern Army commander, Gen DS Hooda, and asked him why the Pakistan terror group, The Resistance Front, a proxy of the Lashkar-e-Toiba, attacked…

The Tribune’s editor-in-chief Jyoti Malhotra spoke to the former Northern Army commander, Gen DS Hooda, and asked him why the Pakistan terror group, The Resistance Front, a proxy of the Lashkar-e-Toiba, attacked and killed 26 innocent civilians in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir and what the Modi government could do next Watch

Attack was claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist group

Tribune Web Desk

Security agencies on Wednesday released the sketches of three men suspected to be involved in the terror attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists, near Pahalgam in south Kashmir.

The men are Asif Fauji, Suleman Shah and Abu Talha, officials said. The three terrorists also had code names — Moosa, Yunus and Asif — and were involved in terror related incidents in Poonch.

The sketches were prepared with the help of survivors, they said.

From the pencil sketches, in black and white, they appear to be young and have beards.

The Resistance Front (TRF), a shadow outfit of the banned Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba terror group, claimed responsibility for the attack on Tuesday afternoon.

As the nation reels from the brutality of the assault, security forces have launched a massive manhunt to apprehend those responsible and uncover the full extent of the operation behind this chilling act of terror.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday held a meeting with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar at the Delhi airport upon his arrival from Saudi Arabia to take stock of the situation.

Terrorists struck at a prime tourist location in Pahalgam in south Kashmir on Tuesday, killing at least 26 people, mostly tourists, and injuring several others. The deceased included two foreigners — from the UAE and Nepal — and two locals.

Home Minister Amit Shah, who reached Srinagar on Tuesday night, assured the survivors of the attack that the perpetrators of the dastardly act would be brought to justice, officials said.

An NIA team headed by an inspector general is on way to Pahalgam to provide assistance to the local police probing Tuesday’s dastardly terrorist attack, sources said. — with PTI

Adil, the only local resident among the victims, was shot after he confronted the attackers, asking them why they were killing innocent tourists, his family said

Adil Akhzer

On Tuesday morning, 28-year-old, a ponywala from the remote Hapatnar area of Pahalgam, left home as usual, telling his father he would return by evening. But by nightfall, his father Syed Haider received devastating news — Adil was among the 26 people killed in the terror attack at Baisaran meadows.Adil, the only local resident among the victims, was shot after he confronted the attackers, asking them why they were killing innocent tourists, his family said.

His younger brother, Syed Naushad, recounted what he learnt from a woman survivor at Srinagar hospital: “She told me that when Adil saw the father of a woman tourist get shot, he confronted the attackers and said, ‘Why are you killing innocents?’ The attackers then fired at him too.”

Adil, who routinely left for Baisaran every morning, was the sole breadwinner for his family — a wife, parents, two brothers and three sisters.

“My son died trying to save tourists. We are shattered,” Haider told The Tribune at their home on Wednesday. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah attended Adil’s funeral, hailing his bravery in standing up to the armed assailants.

According to Omar, Adil had even attempted to snatch a rifle from one of the terrorists, which led to him being targeted and killed. He assured the family that the government would support them: “We are with them and will help them as much as we can.” Adil was laid to rest at the ancestral graveyard in his village, where hundreds of mourners gathered to bid him a tearful farewell and salute his sacrifice.

The villagers also voiced concern about the future of their tourism-dependent economy. “Many families here rely on tourism. This attack has hit us all very hard,” Mohammed Rayees said, adding, “We are praying that the situation normalises soon.”

Curtails diplomatic engagement with Pak, high commission strength to be brought down to 30

Ajay Banerjee Tribune News Service

India on Wednesday suspended the Indus Water Treaty and closed the Integrated Check Post at Attari besides cutting down its diplomatic engagement with Pakistan in a response to its neighbour after the Pahalgam terror attack.

It announced the move to lower the strength of the high commission staff in Delhi and Islamabad to 30 as against the present 55.

In a special briefing to unveil the decisions taken at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the wake of the terror attack, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said the CCS had reviewed the overall security situation and directed all forces to maintain high vigil.

“The CCS resolved that perpetrators of the attack will be brought to justice and its sponsors held to account,” Misri said.

Among immediate measures India has taken in response to the attack by Pakistan-trained terrorists is immediate suspension of the Indus Water Treaty of 1960. “The Treaty will be held in abeyance until Pakistan credibly abjures support for cross-border terrorism,” Misri said.

He announced that the Integrated Check Post at Attari will be closed with immediate effect. “Those who have crossed over with valid endorsements may return though that route before May 1,” the Foreign Secretary announced.

Pakistan nationals will not be permitted to travel to India on SAARC visa exemption scheme and all such visas to Pakistan nationals will be deemed cancelled. “Those in India on this visa category have 48 hours to leave India,” said Misri.

He said the CCS had decided to declare defence, naval, military and air advisers in the Pakistan High Commission persona non grata and they have a week to leave India.

“India will also withdraw these advisers from the High Commission in Islamabad. These posts are deemed annulled. Support staff of these advisers also will be withdrawn from the high commissions. The overall strength of the high commissions will be brought down to 30 from 55 effective May 1,” he said.

Bharath Bhushan from Bengaluru, who was visiting Pahalgam with his wife and three-year-old son, was shot dead by terrorists

Two families from Karnataka were left grief-stricken after the terror attack in Pahalgam on Tuesday, which claimed 26 lives.

Bharath Bhushan from Bengaluru, who was visiting Pahalgam with his wife and three-year-old son, was shot dead by terrorists. His wife, Sujatha, and their child survived the attack.

According to Vimla, Sujatha’s mother and a resident of Mattikere in Bengaluru, Bharath was killed in front of his wife and son.

“My daughter called me a short while ago. She said she is safe at an Army camp and will go to the hospital to claim her husband’s body once her brother reaches Pahalgam. She told me the shooting happened right in front of her,” Vimla said.

She added that once Sujatha realised her husband was dead, she picked up his identity cards and fled the scene with her son.

In Shivamogga, Roopa, sister of Manjunath Rao—another victim of the attack—said this was the family’s first trip outside the state for a holiday.

According to her, a friend of Manjunath called around 4.30 pm to inform her that he had been hospitalised. “But we came to know of his death through the news,” she said.

Roopa, who was vacationing at her ancestral home in Thirthahalli, said her brother had travelled to Pahalgam with his wife and son.

“This was their first trip to Kashmir. They had holidays, so they went. They had called their mother to say they were safe and would return on April 24. It’s been a week since we last spoke,” she said.

The Karnataka Government is assisting tourists from the state in returning home. On Wednesday, it released helpline numbers: 080-43344334, 080-43344335, 080-43344336, 080-43344342 for stranded tourists.

Relatives and acquaintances of those currently in Jammu and Kashmir have been asked to share their details through the helplines.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah dispatched Labour Minister Santosh Lad to Pahalgam on April 22 to coordinate the return of affected Kannadigas.

“Our minister is already there to help bring back the bodies. The government is doing everything to ensure they return safely. I spoke to Santosh Lad—he said the situation is extremely tense,” said Madhu

Manjunath’s brother-in-law Ashwin recalled that the deceased was known for his generosity.

“He was very sociable. If anyone needed help, Manjunath would always step forward. Even when my friend had a health issue, Manjunath didn’t hesitate—he contacted the doctor directly and helped. He was always there for all of us. He only ever wished well for others. We still can’t believe this happened to him,” he added.

Victims’ kin seek death for perpetrators of attack

A fun trip that turned to tragedy in the flash of an eye – or at the lightning speed of a bullet. On Wednesday, distraught family members of the 26 men gunned down by terrorists in Pahalgam struggled to come to terms with their devastating loss.

Many also demanded capital punishment for the perpetrators of the attack.

The bodies of the 25 victims were brought on Wednesday in coffins to Srinagar, where Home Minister Amit Shah laid wreaths, before they were being brought back home. There was hardly a dry eye as Indian Navy officer Vinay Narwal’s wife Himanshi bid adieu to him.

Indian Air Force Corporal Tage Hailyang, hailing from Arunachal Pradesh, was also visiting Pahalgam with his wife, but lost his life in the attack. Shubham Dwivedi, a 31-year-old businessman from Kanpur, got married just two months ago on February 12. On Tuesday, the Dwivedi household was immersed in grief after Shubham was gunned down right in front of his wife.

He had gone to Kashmir on a vacation on April 16 with his wife and nine other family members. Indore’s Sushil Nathaniel (58) had gone to J&K with his wife, daughter and son to celebrate Easter.

His cousin Sanjay Kumrawat said, “We have spoken to his wife and son over the phone. They told us that the terrorists asked Sushil’s name and forced him to kneel down, then asked him to recite the Kalma (phrase articulating Islamic faith). When Sushil said that he could not recite Kalma, the terrorists shot him.” When Nathaniel’s daughter Akanksha (35) ran towards him after seeing bullets fired at him, the terrorists shot her in the leg, Kumrawat said.

Friends of three residents of Dombivli city in Thane — Hemant Joshi, Sanjay Lele and Atul Mone —were in a state of shock and said they were at a loss of words to describe their pain over their deaths.

Neeraj Udhwani was working as a chartered accountant in Dubai and was on a visit to his hometown Jaipur for a wedding function. He went to Pahalgam with his wife Ayushi. Bharath Bhushan from Bengaluru, who was visiting Pahalgam with his wife Sujatha and three-year-old son, was among those shot by terrorists.

Sujatha’s mother Vimla said the shooting happened right in front of her daughter.

In Shivamogga, Roopa, sister of Manjunath Rao — another victim of the attack — said this was the family’s first trip outside the state for a holiday. According to her, a friend of Manjunath called around 4.30 pm to inform her that he had been hospitalised. “But we came to know of his death through the news,” she said. Kochi’s Edapally native Ramachandran’s love for travel, a passion shared by his wife, ended in tragedy when he was gunned down in front of his daughter who had come down from Dubai to meet her parents.

Ramachandran (65) travelled to Kashmir with his wife, daughter and grandchildren for holidaying. Neighbours remembered JC Chandra Mouli, a retired bank employee from Visakhapatnam, as a friendly and sociable person.

Bereaved family members of two Kolkata men and one person from Purulia of West Bengal are also waiting for the return of their mortal remains.