Overview

• 26 civilians, mostly tourists, were killed in a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, marking the deadliest civilian attack in the region since 2019.
• India has suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, expelled Pakistani military attaches, and downgraded diplomatic ties in response to the attack's alleged cross-border links.
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chaired a high-level security review with the NSA, CDS, and service chiefs, directing enhanced combat readiness and anti-terror operations.
• Security forces are actively pursuing the Pakistan-backed terror squad responsible for the attack, with the National Investigation Agency now assisting local authorities in the probe.
• The government is leveraging the crisis to emphasize defence self-reliance, highlighting indigenous systems like the LCA Tejas and BrahMos as critical to national security.