Prime Minister Narendra Modi has granted the Indian Armed Forces full operational freedom to determine the mode, timing, and targets of a military response to the deadly Pahalgam terror attack, according to sources cited by NDTV.
The decision emerged from a high-level security meeting attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, and the chiefs of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. The Prime Minister is said to have reaffirmed the government’s firm resolve to “deliver a crushing blow to terrorism” and expressed his full confidence in the military’s ability to act decisively.
“The Armed Forces have complete freedom to choose the response — including timing, targets, and mode — in the wake of the brutal terrorist attack,” sources quoted PM Modi as saying. The meeting took place ahead of a scheduled session of the Cabinet Committee on Security, India’s highest decision-making body on matters of national defense.
On Monday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh briefed the Prime Minister on the evolving security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, where tensions have risen sharply following the April 22 attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives — mostly civilians — in one of the deadliest incidents since the 2019 Pulwama attack.
Soon after the meeting, Home Minister Amit Shah and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat also visited the Prime Minister’s residence, indicating the urgency and political gravity of the situation.
Government sources have suggested that this green light paves the way for potential retaliatory strikes, similar to the 2019 Balakot airstrikes that targeted Jaish-e-Mohammed camps in Pakistan. This time, intelligence agencies have linked the Pahalgam massacre to Lashkar-e-Taiba, operating through its proxy, The Resistance Front, which has claimed responsibility for the attack.
The developments come amid mounting cross-border tension and a wave of diplomatic and military measures taken by India in response to the incident.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)