Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said those responsible for the cowardly terrorist attack on 'innocent citizens' in Jammu and Kashmir will soon get a befitting reply to their nefarious acts on Indian soil.

Singh made the strong remark a day after Pahalgam, a popular tourist destination in the Kashmir Valley, resonated with the sounds of gunfiring when terrorists identified non-Muslim visitors to the meadow and gunned them down.

Delivering a memorial lecture on the Marshal of the Indian Air Force (IAF) Arjan Singh in New Delhi on April 23, 2025, Raksha Mantri reiterated India’s firm resolve of zero tolerance against terrorism and stated that the Government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will take every necessary and appropriate step.

“India is an old civilisation and such a big country can never be intimidated by any such terror activities. Every Indian is united against this cowardly act. Not just those who perpetrated the attack, but even those who conspired from behind the scenes to commit such nefarious acts on the Indian soil will soon get an appropriate response,” said Rajnath Singh.

In the context of cross-border-supported terrorist incidents, Singh said “History is witness to the withering away of nations not due to the action of the adversary, but due to the result of their own misdeeds. I hope people across the border look at lessons of history more closely”.

Rajnath Singh expressed deepest condolences to the families who lost their loved ones in the terror attack at Pahalgam.

“Our country has lost many innocent citizens in a cowardly attack by terrorists targeting religion. This extremely inhuman act has left us in deep pain. In this hour of grief, I pray for peace to the departed souls,” he said.

Pahalgam Massacre

Twenty-eight tourists died after terrorists identified them as non-Muslims and gunned them down in Baisaran meadows, a popular destination in Pahalgam.

World leaders, including US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, condemned the attack.

The terrorists, who were apparently in camouflage, reportedly asked the victims to chant Islamic verse, pull down their pants to check circumcision in a bid to confirm their Hindu identities before gunning them down. Two among the dead were non-Muslim foreigners.

Amit Shah Visits Kashmir

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday visited Baisaran meadow and also paid homage to the victims of the incident.

He also met the kin of the people killed in the attack that has triggered grief and anger across the country.

Sketches Of Suspects Released

Indian security agencies have released sketches of three suspected terrorists behind the attack.

The three terrorists have been identified as Asif Fuji, Suleman Shah and Abu Talha, reported India Today.

They are believed to be members of The Resistance Front, an offshoot of Pakistan-based banned terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

The group included Pakistani terrorists who infiltrated the Valley just days before the attack, intelligence sources told India Today.