At least 26 civilians, most of them tourists, lost their lives in a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, located in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district, on Tuesday. This is the deadliest attack in the region since the Pulwama incident in 2019.

The attack happened at Baisaran, a scenic meadow that can only be reached by walking or riding a pony. A group of tourists had gone there on Tuesday morning. The Resistance Front, which is believed to be a cover group for the banned Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), has claimed responsibility for the attack. However, the government has not yet officially confirmed this. Those responsible for "this heinous act will be brought to justice and will not be spared," according to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

After cutting short his visit to Saudi Arabia, PM Modi presided over a crucial discussion at the Delhi airport with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. World leaders, including US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, condemned the attack in Pahalgam and showed their support for India. 

However, just days before the massacre in Pahalgam, where 26 tourists were killed, a commander from Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) called for violence and jihad in Kashmir during a rally attended by several terrorist leaders. The rally took place on April 18 in Khai Gala, Rawalkot, in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), to honour two LeT terrorists killed by Indian forces. During his speech, LeT commander Abu Musa, who leads the Jammu Kashmir United Movement (JKUM), used the abrogation of Article 370 and the attempt to alter the region's demographics as reasons to call for attacks in the Kashmir valley.

In a viral video, verified by Indian intelligence agencies, Musa declared, "India removed Article 370 and 35A to change the demography. You deployed your 10 lakh army. You wanted to echo 'Ram Ram' in Pulwama, Poonch, Rajouri. Lashkar-e-Taiba accepts your challenge. Modi, inside your closed courtrooms, you passed your orders. But the battlefield belongs to the mujahideen. Try it, Inshallah, we will shower bullets, slit your necks, and honour the sacrifices of our martyrs."

The timing of the call to violence is important, as it came just days before the Pahalgam massacre, which was one of the deadliest attacks on tourists in Kashmir in recent years. The event on April 18 was held as a "tribute conference" for two militants, Akif Haleem and Abdul Wahab, who were killed by Indian forces during the ongoing Operation All-Out. Haleem was killed on March 17 in Kupwara by the 21st battalion of the Rashtriya Rifles. Wahab, who was linked to LeT and its associated group PAFF (People's Anti-Fascist Front), was killed in an encounter in Sopore on April 24, 2024. Both militants were from the same family in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). 

Despite the Awami Action Committee's public promises that no terrorist groups would be involved, the rally turned into a display of support for Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) sympathisers. Intelligence sources reported that several active LeT members were on stage, openly praising the deaths of their "martyrs" and threatening more attacks in the future. The rally in Khai Gala seemed to have logistical and security support from Pakistani authorities on the ground. Abu Musa's speech, which openly praises violence against India, has raised concerns about possible renewed attempts to infiltrate, especially with summer approaching. During this time, traditional infiltration routes through Kupwara, Poonch, and Rajouri become easier to navigate.