Kathmandu. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed to punish those responsible for a deadly attack in Kashmir that killed 26 people on Thursday.
In his first address since Tuesday’s attack in the Himalayan region of Kashmir, he said, “I tell the whole world: India will identify, track down and punish every terrorist and their supporters. We will hunt them down to the ends of the earth.”
The shooting in the tourist resort of Pahalgam was the deadliest attack on civilians in the disputed Muslim-majority region since 2000. Among the men killed were 26 Indians and one Nepali. India on Wednesday downgraded ties with its neighbour, accusing Islamabad of supporting “cross-border terrorism” and taking a series of diplomatic measures. Pakistan has denied any role in the Pahalgam attack.
Speaking at the inauguration of a development project in Bihar state, Modi first observed a two-minute silence in memory of those killed. “I say this clearly: those who carried out this attack and those who planned it will pay beyond their imagination,” he said in Hindi before a large crowd. “They will definitely pay. The time has come to raze whatever little land these terrorists have to dust.
The willpower of 1.4 billion Indians will break the backbone of these terrorists.” He concluded his speech with rare remarks in English, which he relayed to audiences abroad. “Terrorism will be punished,” Modi said, adding, “every effort will be made to ensure justice.” Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since independence in 1947. Both claim the high-altitude region in its entirety but rule separate parts of it. Rebel groups have been waging an insurgency in Indian-controlled Kashmir since 1989, demanding independence or merger with Pakistan. Indian security forces have launched a massive manhunt in Kashmir for the attackers and have detained a large number of people in the operation.
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