'Those involved in Pahalgam terror attack will get strong response': Rajnath Singh vows payback for killings

Singh described the attack in Pahalgam as 'extremely inhuman' that has 'left all of us in deep grief and pain'.

New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said people responsible for the Pahalgam carnage would receive a “strong response in the near future”.

“We will not only reach out to those who perpetrated this incident. We will also reach out to those who, sitting behind the scenes, have conspired to carry out such nefarious acts on the soil of India. The accused will soon see a loud and clear response,” the Defence Minister said here.

“India is such an old civilization and such a big country that it cannot be intimidated by any terrorist activities. The people responsible for such acts will get a strong response in the near future,” he said at a memorial lecture after a high-level review of the security scenario involving the National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and three Service Chiefs.

This was followed by a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the evening.

The defence minister's remarks while delivering the annual Arjan Singh Memorial lecture came a day after at least 26 people were killed by terrorists in Pahalgam in an attack that triggered wide-spread outrage within India and abroad.

Hours before the address, Singh reviewed the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir in a nearly two-and-half-hour meeting that was attended by NSA Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh and Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh.

"Yesterday, in Pahalgam, our country lost many innocent citizens in a cowardly attack by terrorists targeting religion. This extremely inhuman act has plunged all of us into deep grief and pain. We have a zero tolerance policy against terrorism. Every citizen of India is united against this cowardly act,” he said.

"From this platform, I assure the countrymen that in view of the incident, the government of India will take every step that is necessary and appropriate," he said.

The minister has directed the armed forces to enhance their combat readiness and increase intensity of anti-terror operations.

In the meeting, Army Chief Gen Dwivedi presented a detailed overview of the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir including deployment of his forces.

Strongly condemning the terror attack, Prime Minister Modi on Tuesday said those behind the "heinous act" would be brought to justice. The Prime Minister returned to Delhi after cutting short his visit to Saudi Arabia.