'Heinous designs of terrorists will never succeed': PM Modi's stern warning on Pahalgam attack anniversary

Prime Minister Narendra Modi remembered the victims of the April 22 Pahalgam attack and expressed condolences for the bereaved families.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that India will never bow to any form of terror and added that the heinous designs of terrorists will never succeed. Taking to social media, PM Modi remembered the innocent lives lost in the April 2025 terror attack.

"Remembering the innocent lives lost in the gruesome Pahalgam terror attack on this day last year. They will never be forgotten. My thoughts are also with the bereaved families as they cope with this loss," said PM Modi.

The Prime Minister said that as a nation, India stands united in grief and resolve. "India will never bow to any form of terror. The heinous designs of terrorists will never succeed," said the Prime Minister.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also paid tributes to the Pahalgam attack victims. "Remembering and paying my heartfelt tributes to the innocent people who lost their lives in the cowardly terror attack at Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on 22 April 2025. We share the enduring pain of their loved ones and families. We will never forget those wounds inflicted on our nation. India has endured decades of cross-border terror, but today our response is firm, decisive and unwavering. Through determined action, we have demonstrated that any attempt to harm our people or disrupt our unity will be met with strength and clarity," he said on X.

When did Pahalgam attack happen?

The 2025 Pahalgam terror attack took place on April 22 in Kashmir's Baisaran valley when a group of Pakistan-backed terrorists attacked terrorists and shot them from point-blank range after asking about their religion. A total of 26 people lost their lives in the terror attack, which later turned into a wider India-Pakistan confrontation. 

Just a day after the terror attack, India downgraded diplomatic ties with Pakistan and suspended the Indus Water Treaty. 

How did India respond to Pahalgam terror attack?

India had warned of stringent measures after the Pahalgam terror attack. On May 6-7, the Indian Armed Forces launched a coordinated surgical strike against terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The operation was named Operation Sindoor. Notably, India targeted at least nine terror sites which included Bahawalpur. The Indian Air Force targeted Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Hizbul Mujahideen facilities, killing over 100 terrorists.

Following this, the Pakistani army launched a wave of strikes against India, targeting civilian and military infrastructure using sward drones, artillery and missiles. However, the majority of them were intercepted and neutralised by the Indian Armed Forces. After this, India launched counterstrikes against Pakistani military infrastructures. As part of the retaliation, the Indian Air Force struck 11 Pakistani Air bases and radar installations in Lahore and Gurjanwala. Following this, Pakistan pleaded for a ceasefire and India agreed for cessation of strikes but maintained that Operation Sindoor had been paused, not concluded.

How did Pahalgam attack affect Kashmir?

The terror attack impacted Kashmir's tourism industry badly with tourist inflow going down by nearly 80 per cent. However, the improved security arrangements and revival efforts by the Jammu and Kashmir government paid dividends as the tourists returned to the valley gradually.

However, the Baisaran valley, where the attacks happened, is still closed and pony-operators and local shopkeepers have been demanding to open the meadows. The continued closure of Baisaran valley has caused a severe economic ripple effect for Pahalgam's 7,000+ registered pony service providers.