INDIAN PM CUTS SHORT SAUDI VISIT AFTER TERROR ATTACK KILLS 26 IN KASHMIR

By Shakir Husain

NEW DELHI, April 23 (Bernama) -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi cut short his Saudi Arabia visit on Tuesday following a terror attack in the Jammu and Kashmir region.

Twenty-six people were killed in Tuesday's attack in Baisaran meadow in the Pahalgam area popular with tourists.

The attack by suspected unknown gunmen was widely condemned by Indian and foreign figures.

Indian Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Srinagar, the region's summer capital, on Tuesday evening to review Kashmir's security situation.

In a post on X, Modi stated “Those behind this heinous act will be brought to justice."

"Their evil agenda will never succeed. Our resolve to fight terrorism is unshakeable and it will get even stronger," he wrote.

Modi travelled to the Saudi city of Jeddah on Tuesday for a two-day visit.

The Indian leader held bilateral talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman before leaving for New Delhi on Tuesday night.  He co-chaired the India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council meeting to review bilateral relations in various areas.

The Saudi crown prince condemned the attack and expressed his condolences on the loss of lives, India's Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said.

Indian opposition leaders also expressed grief and condemnation over the attack.

Congress party senior leader Sonia Gandhi said she was "deeply saddened and devastated" to learn of the terror attack and described it as "an act of cowardice".

"The entire country stands united against terror. We share a deep resolve to defeat these divisive and violent forces. We need to work to build the broad social consensus against terror that existed in the past," Gandhi said.

The attack coincided with US Vice President JD Vance’s four-day visit to India.

In a post on X, Vance said “Usha and I extend our condolences to the victims of the devastating terrorist attack in Pahalgam, India.

“Over the past few days, we have been overcome with the beauty of this country and its people. Our thoughts and prayers are with them as they mourn this horrific attack,” he wrote. 

US President Donald Trump called Modi to convey his condolences.

Trump expressed his full support to India "to bring to justice the perpetrators of this heinous attack," Jaiswal said.

The attack has shocked Kashmiri people as it is likely to affect the scenic region's summer tourism season.

"I'm shocked beyond belief. This attack on our visitors is an abomination... No words of condemnation are enough," Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah said on X.

He described the attack as "much larger than anything we've seen directed at civilians in recent years."

Jammu and Kashmir held its first local assembly elections in a decade in 2024 following which the Kashmir-based National Conference and the Congress party formed a coalition government headed by Omar.

The attack shattered the region's relative calm and may pose new challenges to the six-month-old elected regional government to revive Kashmir's economy.

"Historically, Kashmir has welcomed tourists warmly, making this rare incident deeply concerning. A thorough investigation is needed to bring the perpetrators to justice and examine potential security lapses," former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti said.

Indian-administered Kashmir is a federal territory under New Delhi's direct control with the local administration enjoying limited powers.

The former state was divided into two federally ruled territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in August 2019 after India abrogated Article 370 of the Indian constitution to take away the Muslim-majority region's quasi autonomy.

-- BERNAMA