Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that the Pahalgam incident was an attack on ‘insaniyat and Kashmiriyat’ and said that it was aimed at triggering riots in India.
“Pakistan attacked both humanity and the spirit of Kashmir in Pahalgam,” Modi said during an event in Katra. “Its intent was to incite riots in India and to disrupt the livelihood of the hardworking people of Kashmir. That is why Pakistan targeted the tourists.”
Referring to the terror attack and subsequent tensions between India and Pakistan, Modi praised how the people of Jammu and Kashmir stood up against Pakistan's conspiracy.
“The strength shown by the people this time has sent a clear message not just to Pakistan, but to terrorism across the world,” he said.
Also Read | Modi flags off train connecting Kashmir to national rail network
{{/usCountry}}Also Read | Modi flags off train connecting Kashmir to national rail network
{{/usCountry}}“The youth of Jammu and Kashmir are now determined to give a strong response to terrorism. This is the same terrorism that burned down schools, destroyed hospitals in the Valley, and ruined generations," he added.
Pahalgam attack
Twenty-six people were killed in the terror attack in Pahalgam in south Kashmir's Anantnag district on April 22, with terrorists targeting only men, many of whom were with their wives.
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Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after the terror attack, with India carrying out precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on May 7.
India launched Operation Sindoor in the early hours of May 7, bombing nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The pre-dawn strikes --- which killed at least 100 terrorists --- sparked a series of attacks and counter attacks across the western border, involving fighter jets, missiles, armed drones, and fierce artillery and rocket duels.
In one such counterattack on the night of May 9-10, the air force struck targets at 13 Pakistani air bases and military installations. After four days of fighting, military hostilities were stopped on May 10 as the two nations reached an understanding.