The Pahalgam terror assault on April 22 was a deliberate attempt, according to Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Wednesday, to thwart the restoration of normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir and to foster an atmosphere that would allow Pakistan to continue its cross-border terrorism.
Misri discussed the goals of Operation Sindoor, in which Indian military forces hit nine high-value terror targets deep within Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), at a press conference with Indian Army Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Indian Air Force Wing Commander Vyomika Singh.
As everyone is aware, Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists who are Pakistani or have received training from Pakistan viciously attacked Indian tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22, 2025. He claimed that one Nepali national and twenty-five Indians had been cowardly murdered.
“After the November 26, 2008, attacks in Mumbai, this is the most serious incident in terms of the number of civilians killed in a terrorist attack in India,” Misri added, drawing comparisons to the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
“The Pahalgam incident was incredibly vicious; those that were there were shot in the head both in front of their relatives and at close range. The family members were purposefully traumatized by this type of murder, and they were also counseled to return and spread this word,” he claimed.
“This attack was clearly aimed at disrupting the normal situation being restored in Jammu and Kashmir because tourism was once again becoming the mainstay of the economy,” the Foreign Secretary said, highlighting the strategic goal behind the deaths. This attack’s primary goal was to negatively impact it.
Misri emphasized the economic impact, saying, “As you are all aware, over 2.25 crore tourists traveled to Kashmir last year. Therefore, the primary goal of this attack was most likely to maintain the Union Territory’s backwardness by undermining its advancement and development and to contribute to the establishment of an environment that would encourage Pakistan’s ongoing cross-border terrorism.”
India initiated Operation Sindoor in direct response to the Pahalgam incident, focusing on the terror infrastructure utilized by organizations based in Pakistan, such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and its proxies, The Resistance Front.
Camps and logistical centers thought to have been utilized for assault planning and execution were the targets of the strikes.
India’s military response, Misri emphasized, was “measured, calibrated, and non-escalatory.”
He reaffirmed that there would be no collateral damage to civilian or commercial targets and that the Indian strikes were only intended to destroy the infrastructure supporting terrorism.
Precision strikes were carried out by the Indian military. Destroying the foundations of terror without inciting escalation was the goal, according to Misri.
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