PM Modi cuts short Saudi Arabia visit, will leave for India tonight

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided to return to India ahead of schedule following the horrific terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on Tuesday that left 26 people dead, including two foreigners and two locals. The Prime Minister, who was on an official visit to Saudi Arabia, skipped the ceremonial dinner hosted in his honour and made immediate arrangements to fly back to India.

According to government sources, Modi expressed deep grief over the incident and chose to be present in the country during this moment of national crisis. “In view of the terrorist attack in Kashmir, PM Modi skipped the official dinner hosted by Saudi Arabia and has decided to cut short his visit,” an official source confirmed late Tuesday.

The Prime Minister was originally scheduled to return tomorrow night but will now land in India early Wednesday morning. His early return underscores the gravity of the situation in Jammu and Kashmir and the government’s resolve to deal with terrorism with a firm hand.

The terror attack in Baisaran, a tourist hotspot near Pahalgam in Anantnag district, targeted civilians indiscriminately. Eyewitnesses claim the terrorists singled out victims based on their religion, adding a chilling communal angle to the already gruesome assault. The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, has claimed responsibility.

As the nation reels from the attack, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has already reached Kashmir to take stock of the situation. Modi’s return will likely be followed by a high-level review of the national security framework and counter-terror strategy, sources added.