Union Home Minister Amit Shah reviews security situation at Pahalgam terror site as NIA joins probe

In the aftermath of the tragic terror attack that led to the death of many innocent lives on Tuesday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday reviewed the security situation at the site of the terror attack in Pahalgam’s Baisaran meadow.

The Union Minister first took an aerial stock of the region as he arrived at the site by helicopter, descending onto the meadow now bearing the scars of violence, earlier in the day.

Amit Shah walked around the area amid tight security and was briefed by top officials on the current situation and ongoing operations in the area.

The visit comes amid heightened alert across the Kashmir Valley following the attack, which targeted tourists in one of the region’s key travel destinations.

Tuesday’s incident is considered one of the most serious attacks in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. The government is yet to release an official count of casualties.

Before heading to Pahalgam, the Union Home Minister paid tribute to the victims with a “heavy heart” during a poignant ceremony and met with the families of the victims outside the Police Control Room in Srinagar.

Taking to X, Amit Shah expressed the centre’s firm resolve to combat terrorism, stating that “Bharat will not bend to terror.”

“With a heavy heart, paid last respects to the deceased of the Pahalgam terror attack. Bharat will not bend to terror. The culprits of this dastardly terror attack will not be spared,” Shah stated.

Meanwhile, a National Investigation Agency (NIA) team also arrived at the attack site to join the probe and assist the Jammu and Kashmir Police on the matter, which is considered the deadliest assault on civilians in the region in almost twenty years.

The NIA team – led by a Deputy Inspector General-rank officer – visited Baisaran a day after terrorists gunned down a group of tourists in the picturesque meadow, which is located around five kilometres from Pahalgam town in Kashmir’s Anantnag district.

Official sources privy to the development told ANI that “the NIA team members will be assisting the Jammu and Kashmir Police in the investigation.”

The NIA’s assistance to J-K Police underscores a key role in the overall investigation, as Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba’s proxy, the Resistance Front (TRF), has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The NIA team is expected to conduct a thorough assessment of the attack site, collect forensic evidence, and help in identifying those responsible for the carnage.