Pahalgam terror attack news: Police conduct raids across multiple locations in Srinagar

The Jammu and Kashmir unit of BJP on Saturday welcomed the Centre's decision to deport Pakistani nationals in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack.

J-K BJP's chief spokesperson Sunil Sethi said such individuals may be potential “sleeper cells”, and there is a possibility that some of them have been planted by Pakistani spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) as part of a “nefarious” design.

Over 100 members of the Indian diaspora staged a protest at Piazza Fontana near Duomo in Milan on Saturday, condemning the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam that took the lives of 26 civilians on April 22.

The protest saw participation from various communities, including Sikhs, Christians, Tamil and Malayali associations, as well as Indian students. Participants condemned the violence and expressed solidarity with the victims.

Assam BJP president Dilip Saikia on Saturday condemned the Pahalgam terror attack and demanded strict action against Pakistan, reported ANI.

Saikia said, "We, Indians, want that Pakistan should be punished for their inhumane act in Pahalgam. Pakistan should be given what it deserves. The Indian government should do that. All the extremist groups and communal elements should be put an end to in Pakistan and in PoK. There should be zero tolerance towards terrorism."

CRPF trooper Munir Ahmed who was dismissed for allegedly “concealing” his marriage to a Pakistani woman, said on Saturday that he had solemnized his marriage nearly a month after getting permission from the force's headquarters last year.

Ahmed, said he will challenge his dismissal in the court of law.

“I am sure of getting justice," he said, as quoted by PTI.

India's maritime authorities have issued a navigation alert for commercial ships as the Indian Navy is conducting drills in the Arabian Sea, on Saturday.

The NAV (navigation) alert comes amid increasing tensions between India and Pakistan over the Pahalgam terror attack.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said that Pakistan’s response to India's alleged provocation following the Pahalgam terror attack was “responsible and measured."

In conversation with Turkiye Ambassador Dr Irfan Neziroglu, the prime minister said “despite India’s provocative actions following the Pahalgam incident, Pakistan’s response was responsible and measured”, reported Radio Pakistan

He added that India had “failed to share any evidence and is falsely trying to link Pakistan to the Pahalgam attack”.

Pahalgam terror attack news live updates: BSF has apprehended a Pakistani Ranger along the India-Pakistan border in Rajasthan, PTI reported, citing officials.

This comes amid rising tensions between the two nations, with Pakistan continuing ceasefire violations across the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.

Pahalgam terror attack news live updates: Police conducted searches at several locations across Srinagar on Saturday as part of a broader crackdown on the terror network following the deadly Pahalgam attack that claimed 26 lives, news agency PTI reported.

A spokesperson for the Jammu and Kashmir Police said the operation aimed to dismantle the infrastructure that supports terrorism in the district, with intensified search efforts carried out at multiple sites.

The spokesperson further stated that the searches are part of ongoing action against associates of banned terrorist groups and are linked to investigations under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

Pahalgam terror attack news live updates: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a conversation with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, news agency ANI reported, citing the Russian Foreign Ministry.

The two leaders discussed bilateral cooperation between Russia and India, as well as the growing strain in India-Pakistan relations in the wake of the recent terror attack in Pahalgam. Lavrov emphasised the need for New Delhi and Islamabad to resolve their differences through political and diplomatic dialogue, in accordance with the Simla Agreement (1972) and the Lahore Declaration (1999). They also reviewed the schedule of upcoming high-level engagements.

Pahalgam terror attack news live updates: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday for the first time since the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives, mostly tourists.

During the meeting, Abdullah briefed the PM on the prevailing ground situation and shared the widespread anger among locals over the incident. He pointed out that this was the first time since terrorism erupted in 1989 that people across the region spontaneously protested to express their rejection of such violence.

Abdullah also drew attention to the bravery of pony ride operator Syed Adil Hussain Shah, who attempted to disarm one of the terrorists in a courageous bid to protect tourists.

Officials added that the impact of the attack on Kashmir’s booming tourism industry and the upcoming Amarnath Yatra was also discussed. The 38-day pilgrimage is set to begin on July 3 and will take place via two routes — the traditional 48-km trail from Pahalgam in Anantnag and the shorter, 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal.

Pahalgam terror attack news live updates: India is committed to taking “firm and decisive action” against terrorists and their backers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday in the context of the Pahalgam terror attack that has resulted in heightened tensions with Pakistan over cross-border linkages to the incident.

Pahalgam terror attack news live updates: Indian Navy chief Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence on Saturday evening as tensions with Pakistan escalated.

In a strong response to the cross-border links of the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives last week, India announced fresh punitive steps, including a ban on the entry of Pakistani-flagged ships into Indian ports.

Additionally, the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) said Indian ships are now barred from visiting Pakistani ports as part of these new restrictions.

Pahalgam attack news live updates: The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on Saturday announced the immediate dismissal of Munir Ahmed, a constable from its 41 Battalion, for allegedly hiding his marriage to a Pakistani woman, according to news agency ANI.

“In a matter of serious concern, CT/GD Munir Ahmed of 41 Battalion of CRPF has been dismissed from service with immediate effect for concealing his marriage to a Pakistani national and knowingly harbouring her beyond the validity of her visa. His actions were found to be in violation of service conduct and detrimental to national security,” CRPF was quoted as saying.

Pahalgam attack news live updates: India has described Pakistan's ballistic missile test on Saturday as a "blatant" act of "provocation," amid rising tensions over the Pahalgam terror attack, sources told PTI.

The Pakistani military tested the Abdali surface-to-surface missile, which has a range of 450 km.

It is understood that Pakistan informed India in advance about the missile test, as per established protocols.

The Pakistani army stated that the test aimed to assess operational readiness and validate critical technical aspects, such as the missile's navigation system and manoeuvrability.

According to sources, the missile launch is seen as a direct provocation.

Pahalgam attack news live updates: Angola President Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenco, currently on a state visit to India, strongly condemned the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, and expressed Angola’s solidarity with India in the fight against terrorism, including cross-border threats.

During his bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Lourenco conveyed his condemnation of the Pahalgam attack. The two leaders held delegation-level talks that reviewed the current state of bilateral relations and explored potential areas for future cooperation.

Providing details of the visit, Dammu Ravi, Secretary (Economic Relations) in the Ministry of External Affairs, said the discussions spanned a wide range of subjects.

"During the press briefing, there was a very strong message. And also during the delegation level talks, President Lorenzo condemned the heinous cowardly act, terrorist act in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir. And there was condemnation of it, expressed condolences to the bereaved families and solidarity with India in tackling terrorism in all its forms, including cross-border terrorism," he said.

Pahalgam attack news live updates: The long-standing practice of cross-border marriages among the Sodha community—connecting Hindu families in Pakistan's Sindh and India’s Rajasthan—is now under strain after the recent Pahalgam terror attack and India’s subsequent policy changes, according to a PTI report.

For generations, Sodha Hindu families in Sindh have formed matrimonial alliances with their counterparts in western Rajasthan, as tradition prohibits marriage within the same gotra.

However, stricter cross-border rules and security concerns are now threatening to disrupt this deeply rooted social tradition.

Pahalgam attack news live updates: Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on Saturday to discuss several matters, including the recent Pahalgam terror attack, officials said.

The 30-minute meeting was the first between the leaders since the April 22 attack, which killed 26 people, mostly tourists.

Omar Abdullah earlier denounced the Pahalgam terror attack, saying it was the first time in 26 years he had witnessed such unity among locals against violence.

"I have never seen people come out to protest against an attack like this... people said not in my name," he said during a special session in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.

Abdullah also expressed remorse, saying he didn’t know how to apologise to the victims' families, as he failed to ensure their safe return.

Pahalgam attack news live updates: The Warehouse Traders Federation has welcomed the Centre’s move to impose a complete ban on both direct and indirect trade with Pakistan.

Federation president Deepak Gupta told ANI, "We appealed to the government to completely ban the trade with Pakistan...The government has supported us. The businessmen there are not happy with this decision. Most of the consumers of their dry fruit industry are in India. It will be a significant loss to Pakistan..."

The Indian government has announced an immediate halt on all imports from Pakistan, citing national security and public policy concerns in the wake of the April terror attack in Pahalgam.

While direct trade between the two nations had already been stalled since 2019—when India slapped a 200% duty on Pakistani goods after the Pulwama attack—the new order also blocks imports coming via third countries.

Pahalgam attack news live updates: The intelligence bureau (IB) and other agencies alerted local security officers in Jammu and Kashmir about the possibility of an attack targeting tourists, but around the time of the Prime Minister’s scheduled visit to the union territory (UT) on April 19, and in Srinagar, people familiar with the matter said.

HT learns that in response, security was enhanced in and around Srinagar, including near several hotels popular with tourists, and also at tourist hotspots such as Dachigam National Park, 22 km away from the city.

Pahalgam attack news live updates: A 50-year-old Pakistani woman, her son, and a two-year-old grandson were detained for living illegally in Gujarat's Rajkot district, news agency PTI reported, citing police on Saturday.

The woman and her son had been residing in India for over 25 years, while the child was born to the son's Indian wife, officials added.

The Rajkot Rural Local Crime Branch had recently received information about some Pakistani nationals living illegally in Lodhika taluka and began an investigation. Authorities have intensified their crackdown on Pakistani nationals residing illegally in India following the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack.

Pahalgam attack news live updates: While speaking to news agency ANI in Jammu and Kashmir, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah commented on India's stance towards Pakistan and the Indus Waters Treaty.

Referring to the treaty and regional tensions, Abdullah said, "...India is the nation of Gandhi, we have threatened them (Pakistan) that we will stop the water, but we will not kill them. We are not as cruel as they are..."

On the impact of the Indus Waters Treaty on Jammu and Kashmir, he added, "When the Indus Waters Treaty was signed, the people of J&K were not taken into confidence. Due to its treaty, J&K has suffered the biggest loss. I appeal to the government of India to work on a scheme to bring that water to the people of Jammu..."

Pahalgam attack news live updates: Ahead of a key IMF review scheduled for next week, Pakistan has criticised India’s announcement to request a reassessment of its financial assistance programme by the global lender, calling the move “politically motivated” in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack.

According to The Express Tribune, which cited official sources on Saturday, Islamabad views India’s push at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as part of a broader political effort to diplomatically isolate Pakistan.

The IMF Executive Board is set to meet Pakistani officials on May 9 to conduct the first review under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and to consider Pakistan’s request for support under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility.

On Friday, India announced that it would urge global financial institutions, including the IMF, to revisit the financial assistance being extended to Pakistan, as part of its diplomatic response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed the lives of 26 tourists.

Pahalgam attack news live updates: Jammu and Kashmir National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Saturday visited tourists in Pahalgam and reaffirmed that Kashmir has always been and will remain an integral part of India.

While speaking to reporters in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, Abdullah said the most important takeaway is that tourists are "not scared."

"The people who wanted to spread fear have lost. They (terrorists) have lost. It has been proven today that we are not going to get scared. Kashmir was and will always be a part of India. People want terrorism to finish. It has been 35 years since we have seen terrorism; we want progress. We want to move forward. We will become a superpower one day," he added.

Pahalgam attack news live updates: National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah on Saturday called on the people of Jammu and Kashmir to stand up against those responsible for attacks like the one in Pahalgam, saying that progress and prosperity are only possible by confronting such forces. He condemned the perpetrators of the April 22 massacre, declaring they would "rot in hell."

The former chief minister visited the home of Adil Hussain Shah, a pony ride operator who was among the 26 victims of the attack, in Hapatnaar, located in south Kashmir.

"He (Shah) is a martyr. He sacrificed his life, he was not afraid of the guns of the beasts. This is 'insaniyat (humanity)', this is Kashmiriyat. One who is afraid is dead," Abdullah said.

He further urged people to face terrorism with bravery: "We have to fight them (terrorists) and fight them with courage. We will never be happy and prosperous and we can never move forward until we fight them. So, we must have courage."

Pahalgam attack news live updates: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is expected to skip Russia's Victory Day parade, with minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth likely to attend the event in Moscow on India’s behalf, news agency PTI reported on Saturday, citing official sources.

The decision to send Seth to the May 9 ceremony comes at a time of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack.

Although Russia had extended an invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany, it was later decided that Rajnath Singh would represent India. However, sources, according to PTI, have now confirmed that Seth will attend the event instead.