nia-joins-probe-as-shah-reviews-pahalgam-terror-attack-site

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday arrived in Pahalgam to assess the security arrangements at Baisaran meadow, a popular tourist spot turned site of carnage following Tuesday’s brutal terrorist strike.

 

The Union Home Minister first took an aerial survey before landing at the meadow, which now bears visible scars of violence. Accompanied by senior officials, Shah was briefed on the situation and the security measures in place following the incident, which has shaken the Valley and the nation alike.

 

#WATCH | Union Home Minister Amit Shah visits Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam, the site of the horrific terror attack that claimed at least 27 lives.

High-level review of ground situation underway.#PahalgamTerroristAttack pic.twitter.com/G1o0IUqDUy

— Organiser Weekly (@eOrganiser) April 23, 2025

 

Tuesday’s attack, in which a group of tourists was ambushed, is among the most serious assaults on civilians in Jammu and Kashmir since the revocation of Article 370 in 2019. The government has not yet released an official count of casualties.

 

Before visiting the site, the Home Minister paid tributes to the victims in a sombre ceremony at the Police Control Room in Srinagar and met with their families. Expressing resolve on social media platform X, Shah wrote: “With a heavy heart, paid last respects to the deceased of the Pahalgam terror attack. Bharat will not bend to terror. The culprits of this dastardly terror attack will not be spared.”

 

With a heavy heart, paid last respects to the deceased of the Pahalgam terror attack. Bharat will not bend to terror. The culprits of this dastardly terror attack will not be spared. pic.twitter.com/bFxb2nDT4H

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) April 23, 2025

 

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has formally joined the probe. A team led by a Deputy Inspector General-rank officer reached the attack site and is now working alongside the Jammu and Kashmir Police. Baisaran, a grassy highland about five kilometres from Pahalgam town in Anantnag district, was the location of the assault claimed by the Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba.

 

Official sources said that “the NIA team members will be assisting the Jammu and Kashmir Police in the investigation.” The central agency’s role includes forensic collection, scene reconstruction, and assistance in tracking those responsible for what has been described as the deadliest civilian attack in the region in nearly two decades.

 

The heightened security presence continues in the Valley amid concerns of potential follow-up attacks. Investigations are also focusing on cross-border linkages and possible support networks in the area.

 

The central government, meanwhile, has asserted that all those involved — directly or indirectly — will be tracked down and punished, with national security agencies now working in tandem to ensure accountability.