Pahalgam attack designed to show J&K peace 'temporary': Ex-Army commander

Guwahati: The Pahalgam attack was a preplanned operation intended to send a strategic message by the terrorists and their handlers, including the Pakistan army, that the return of normalcy to Jammu and Kashmir is "temporary", a former Indian Army commander said on Friday.

Targeting the victims based on their religious identity was also part of this strategic move to incite communal violence in the country as a possible backlash of the incident, he added.

"New things are emerging when we analyse this attack. First and foremost, it was preplanned and designed to send a strategic message by the terrorists and their handlers, including the Pakistan army," former Eastern Command chief Lt Gen. (retd) Rana Pratap Kalita told PTI.

He explained that the attackers sought to demonstrate that "the signs of normalcy returning to Jammu and Kashmir — be it smooth elections or a large influx of tourists — were temporary." Kalita said the attack on tourists holds relevance as the terrorists knew that it would harm the common Kashmiris, with many earning their living through the tourism sector.

"There were some sporadic incidents. But large-scale targeting (of tourists) is something new. They (terrorists) know it is going to harm the common Kashmiris," he added.

Highlighting the meticulous planning involved, he added, "Selection of the place — an isolated spot with no security presence — and the timing, coinciding with the visits of the US Vice-President and Prime Minister Modi’s trip to Saudi Arabia, was done with a lot of detailed coordination, plan and deliberation." "The fact that the religious identity of the targets was asked is something new and goes with the ‘strategic messaging.’ My reading is that they possibly wanted to incite communal violence by the possible backlash of this incident in other parts of the country. As Indians, we must avoid it," he said.

Asked about the failure of Intelligence agencies, Kalita said, "The investigating agencies, including the NIA, will go into the details. There are a lot of stories coming out — that tourists were not supposed to go to that spot, that it was opened only two days prior to the incident. I am not sure about the details, and the investigation will bring it all out." Kalita termed the Indian government’s response to the attack as "very matured and extremely resolute".

"Union Home Minister Amit Shah immediately rushed to Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi cut short his Saudi Arabia visit, and diplomatic measures were announced the next day. These announcements are only the beginning. I am sure more political, diplomatic and military measures will be taken," he concluded.