Pahalgam terror attack: PM Modi cuts short his Saudi Arabia visit, to leave for India on Tuesday night, say government sources

NEW DELHI: In the wake of terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam that killed 26 people, Prime Minister Narendra Modi cut short his two-day Saudi Arabia visit and decided to return to New Delhi on Tuesday night, government sources informed.

PM Modi, who arrived in Jeddah on Tuesday afternoon for bilateral talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, delayed their scheduled meeting by over two hours to assess the developing situation in Kashmir.

Amid the escalating crisis, PM Modi also skipped an official dinner hosted that evening. Originally slated to return to India on Wednesday night, his plans were adjusted in response to the unfolding events.

"I strongly condemn the terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that the injured recover at the earliest. All possible assistance is being provided to those affected. Those behind this heinous act will be brought to justice...they will not be spared! Their evil agenda will never succeed. Our resolve to fight terrorism is unshakable and it will get even stronger," PM Modi said in a post on X.

I strongly condemn the terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that the injured recover at the earliest. All possible assistance is being provided to those affected.

Those behind this heinous act will be brought…

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 22, 2025

In the deadliest attack in Jammu and Kashmir since the 2019 Pulwama strike, terrorists opened fire near a popular meadow close to Pahalgam town, killing 26 people, most of them tourists.

The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), claimed responsibility for the assault.