India’s Retaliation For Pahalgam Attack Underway? Intense Counter-Terror Operations Sweep J&K, Govt Tight-Lipped: Report

Speculation is rife that India has begun its promised retaliation for the deadly Pahalgam terror attack, as security forces conduct large-scale counter-terrorism operations across multiple locations in Jammu and Kashmir.

According to sources cited by ANI, intense operations are underway, but authorities have shared no specific details, maintaining a veil of secrecy over the efforts.

The operations come on the heels of a devastating terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 tourists, igniting widespread outrage across the country.

Days after the attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at a rally in Bihar, vowed a decisive response, promising that those behind the attack would and their enablers (read: Pakistan Army) would chased to the end of the world and punished for their actions.

The sudden escalation of security operations in J&K, involving coordinated efforts across various districts, has led to speculation that India is now acting on Prime Minister Modi’s commitment to strike back against terrorists.

The timing of the operations has also drawn attention amid escalating regional tensions.

On 28 April, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif claimed in an interview with Reuters that India was preparing for a military strike, citing intelligence briefings. He stated that Pakistan had reinforced its forces in anticipation of Indian action.

However, Asif later backtracked, clarifying that his remarks were “misinterpreted” and that he had only pointed to the “possibility” of escalation, not an imminent attack. He reiterated Pakistan’s readiness to defend its sovereignty, making a pointed reference to its nuclear arsenal, and stressed that the next few days would be critical.

Asif’s remarks, followed by his partial retraction, are seen as an attempt to preemptively draw international attention to any Indian response.