- Friday, April 25, 2025
General Upendra Dwivedi will review the situation in the wake of the Pahalgam attack earlier this week
By: India Weekly
AMID the worsening ties after the Pahalgam terror attack, the Pakistan army opened fire at multiple locations along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday (24) night, and Indian troops fired in response.
There were incidents of small arms firing at some places, and no casualties were reported, a source told PTI.
Meanwhile, army chief general Upendra Dwivedi arrived in Srinagar on Friday (25) to review the situation in the wake of the Pahalgam attack earlier this week, officials said.
Dwivedi would review the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, while army commanders will brief him about the steps taken in the aftermath of Tuesday’s attack at Baisaran in Pahalgam, which killed 26 people, mainly tourists.
Survivors claimed the terrorists targeted men and spared those who could recite Kalima, a sacred Islamic expression of faith.
Indian security forces have launched a vast manhunt for the attackers, with large numbers of people detained.
Prime minister Narendra Modi has vowed to hunt down the gunmen responsible for the Pahalgam attacks after Indian security forces identified two of the three fugitive gunmen as Pakistani.
“I say to the whole world: India will identify, track and punish every terrorist and their backer,” Modi said during an event in Bihar.
Early on Friday, authorities in Kashmir demolished the houses of two suspected militants, Adil Hussain Thoker and Asif Sheikh in Anantnag and Tral respectively.
Adil Thoker is believed to have played a key role in helping the Pakistani terrorists plan and carry out the Pahalgam attack.
Former Indian army chief General Shankar Roychowdhury said the Pahalgam terror attack was due to “intelligence failure” and “complacency”.
He told PTI, “I suspect intelligence failure. Somebody must answer for the lapses. There is definitely someone responsible for negligence and they must be held accountable for the consequences.”
He also said Pakistan and its intelligence agency ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) have a role behind the Pahalgam attack.
“There must be complacency somewhere. How did so many infiltrators manage to get through? This needs to be investigated,” he added.
The Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) proxy group, The Resistance Front (TRF), has claimed responsibility for the attack.
On whether Pakistan Army chief General Asim Munir’s statement on Kashmir acted as a catalyst for the terrorists, Roychowdhury said, “I think that is the only thing that works in Pakistan. Definitely, that worked as an impetus for terror outfits.”
In a recent address, the Pakistani general had described Kashmir as Pakistan’s “jugular vein”.
Meanwhile, Pakistan has denied any involvement in the Pahalgam attack and vowed to respond to any Indian action.
“Any threat to Pakistan’s sovereignty and to the security of its people will be met with firm reciprocal measures,” a statement said.
Prime minister Shehbaz Sharif held a rare National Security Committee with top military chiefs. (Agencies)
