Steps to bring body of Malayali killed in Pahalgam terror attack begin

PAHALGAM: Steps to bringing back the body of Ramachandran (68) of Edappally in Ernakulam, killed in the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, has begun. Ramachandran went to Kashmir on Monday. He was killed in front of his daughter, who reached home from Dubai the other day. The other members of his family are reported to be safe.

The bodies of all 28 people killed have been brought to Srinagar. The postmortem will be conducted in Srinagar itself. There are also reports that it may take up to two days to hand over the bodies. It is reported that 27 men and one woman were killed. More than ten people injured in the attack are undergoing treatment. A Nepali and an Indian of UAE nationality are among the dead.

Meantime, a meeting will be held today under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to assess the situation in Pahalgam. The Prime Minister, who cut short his visit to Saudi Arabia, has returned to India. The Prime Minister is likely to call a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has also returned to India. Home Minister Amit Shah is in Jammu to assess the situation. He will reach Pahalgam today.

The NIA has started an investigation into the terror attack. The security forces and the Jammu and Kashmir Police are on a joint search for the terrorists. Searches are being carried out in Pahalgam, Baisaran and Anantnag areas. Meantime, in the wake of the terror attack, security will be increased in UP as well as Delhi and surveillance will be tightened in tourist areas.

The militants opened fire at tourists visiting Baiasaran in Pahalgam yesterday at 3 pm. Four terrorists, who came down from the mountain in military uniforms at the Baisaran Hill Station in Pahalgam, opened fire on them. The Resistance Front (TRF), affiliated with the Pakistani terrorist organization Lashkar, claimed responsibility for the attack. The terrorists fled to the hills after the army surrounded the area.

The terrorists who stormed the place where the tourists were staying opened fire mercilessly. It is reported that three of the terrorists, who came in military uniform, are foreigners and one is a local. The victims were trekking in the famous tourist destination of Baisaran, which is full of mountains and is known as 'mini-Switzerland'. Baisaran is a hill station in the Pahalgam region of Anantnag district, which can be reached only by foot and horse. Security forces and rescue teams rushed to the spot by helicopter.