The Indian army and local security forces have re-dominated the vulnerable axes in South Kashmir as part of the robust yet lawful actions aimed at isolating terrorist posts after the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.

As part of the Internal Security Consolidation in Jammu & Kashmir, the security forces are conducting intelligence-driven, intense counter terrorist operations that have yielded arrests and the seizure of weapons caches linked to the Pahalgam cell.

Advertisement

The actions, a part of a calibrated national response to the Pahalgam terror attack, are guided by firm political direction and professional military judgement. “As India mourns the loss of 26 innocent lives brutally taken on 22 April at Baisaran, near Pahalgam, the nation has adopted a measured, punitive and strategically coherent course of action rather than an impulsive knee-jerk retaliation,” said an Army spokesperson.

Temporary movement restrictions have also been implemented at select tourist spots to ensure civilian safety without undermining the vital tourism sector, a release said.

“During the night of 01-02 May, Pakistan Army posts resorted to unprovoked small arms firing from posts across the Line of Control opposite Kupwara, Baramulla, Poonch, Naushera, and Akhnoor areas of the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir. Indian Army troops responded in a calibrated and proportionate manner,” said the spokesperson.

In a statement issued by the Army spokesperson on Friday, it was stated that during a security review on 29 April, Prime Minister Narendra Modi granted the Chief of Defence Staff and the three Service Chiefs full freedom to select the time, target, and method of retribution. “The perpetrators will not be spared by the Indian forces. The Indian Army is prepared for decisive actions, yet has scrupulously avoided hasty cross-Line-of-Control forays,” according to the statement.

Meanwhile, in a series of cyber offensives, unsuccessful hacking attempts to breach some websites were undertaken by Pakistan sponsored hacker groups “Cyber Group HOAX1337” and “National Cyber Crew”. Sources revealed that these hacking efforts were promptly identified and neutralised by cybersecurity agencies.

Among the latest provocations, the websites of Army Public School Nagrota and Sunjuwan were targeted, and attempts were made to deface them with messages mocking the victims of the recent Pahalgam terror attack. In another incident, a website catering to ex-servicemen’s healthcare services was defaced, signaling Pakistan’s growing frustration.

Earlier, the websites of the Army Institute of Hotel Management and the Indian Air Force veterans’ were also hacked. “There have been repeated attempts made by hackers operating from Pakistan to attack websites having linkages to children, old age veterans, and other innocent people. Resorting to attacking veterans and families’ platforms reflects another low by Pakistan and their continuous attempt at unethical ways of operating,” the source said, adding, “It appears that Pakistan is testing India’s restraint and patience.”