India: Modi vows tough action as deadly Kashmir attack claims 26 Lives

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed to bring to justice those responsible for the brutal attack in Kashmir that left 26 men dead.

Speaking on Thursday, two days after the incident in the Pahalgam area, Modi declared that India would pursue every terrorist and their backers without rest.

“I say to the whole world: India will identify, track, and punish every terrorist and their backer,” Modi said in his first public reaction since the attack. “We will pursue them to the ends of the Earth.”

The shooting, which took place in a popular tourist location in the Himalayan region, is now regarded as the deadliest assault on civilians in the disputed, Muslim-majority territory since 2000. Among those killed were 26 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen.

Reacting swiftly to the tragedy, India on Wednesday accused neighboring Pakistan of supporting cross-border terrorism and took several diplomatic measures to downgrade ties with Islamabad. Pakistan, however, denied having any involvement in the attack.

During his speech in Bihar state, where he was launching development projects, Modi led a two-minute silence to honor the victims before delivering a strong warning to those behind the violence.

“I say this unequivocally: whoever has carried out this attack, and the ones who devised it, will be made to pay beyond their imagination,” he said, addressing a large crowd in Hindi.

He vowed that the will of over 1.4 billion Indians would crush the backbone of terrorism, promising that whatever ground the terrorists hold would be reduced to dust.

Concluding his address with rare remarks in English, Modi sent a message to the international community: “Terrorism will not go unpunished. Every effort will be made to ensure that justice is done.”

Since their independence in 1947, India and Pakistan have claimed the Kashmir region in full but govern separate parts. Insurgency by rebel groups in Indian-controlled Kashmir has been ongoing since 1989, with some seeking independence or unification with Pakistan.

Following the Pahalgam attack, Indian security forces have intensified operations in the region, detaining numerous suspects as a large-scale manhunt for the perpetrators continues.