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A report indicated that Srinagar may have been an initial target of the terrorists during PM Modi’s scheduled visit to J&K on April 19. However, his trip was later cancelled.
Pahalgam terror attack: Intel had warned of terror attack in Srinagar (Reuters Image)
The intelligence agencies had sounded an alert to the security officials about a possible terrorist attack on tourists in Jammu and Kashmir, but in Srinagar, timed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trip to the Union Territory on April 19, according to a report.
The intelligence bureau and other agencies had mentioned the attack could take place in or near Srinagar, however, the intelligence inputs had no specific mention of Pahalgam, the report indicated.
Security Was Boosted In Srinagar After Inputs Of Terror Attack
In response to the inputs, security was boosted in and around Srinagar, including several hotels popular among tourists, and also at tourist hotspots like Dachigam National Park, which is situated 22 km from the capital city, Hindustan Times reported.
However, the Prime Minister’s visit was called off due to bad weather in the region. It was on April 22 that terrorists succeeded in carrying out an attack on tourists in Pahalgam, 90 km away from Srinagar. 26 people, all men, were killed in the attack on religious lines.
“Nine out of ten times they don’t come to anything, but this one proved correct about tourists. The interpretation, which is the trickiest part, got the location wrong,” a senior police officer told HT.
The official also revealed that both the Indian Army and other security officials in J&K were ordered to prepare for an attack around PM Modi’s visit, at a tourist spot near Srinagar.
It was four days before the Prime Minister’s trip to J&K, the PMO cancelled his visit after taking note of the meteorological department’s warning of bad weather in the region around April 18-19.
PM Modi was supposed to travel by helicopter to about three areas, but bad weather would have disrupted the plan. Even though his visit was cancelled, security forces stayed alert and didn’t lower their guard.
The Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police, Nalin Prabhat, had his foot on the ground in Srinagar for four days, keeping a track of all areas around the city. When the terrorists carried out the attack on April 22, he had just landed in Jammu and had to head back right away.
All officials confirmed to HT that there were no specific intelligence inputs of any possible terror attack in Pahalgam.
Terrorists Waited For Next Opportunity, They Got One During JD Vance’s India Visit: Officials
Officials believe that after the cancellation of the Prime Minister’s visit to the UT, the terrorists stayed hidden and waited for the next opportunity to strike. Just a day after the cancellation, it was officially announced on April 16 that US Vice President JD Vance would embark on a 4-day visit to India, something that had been in the works for quite some time.
According to the officials, the lapse was the inability to anticipate an attack in Baisaran Valley in Pahalgam, which remains open for visitors throughout the year, except for the period when the Amarnath Yatra is held.
“The two local men among the terrorists were the ones who corralled the tourists to one side. The shots were fired by the two foreign men. Because there was only one entry and exit controlled by the tickets, that made it difficult for the tourists to escape the attackers,” they said.
The biggest lapse was of local intelligence, as it is now known that the terrorists were hiding in the area and continued to do so, the officials said.
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