Pahalgam attack deserves retaliation. India can borrow from US, Israel playbook

The attack site lies along the Amarnath Yatra route, set to begin in early June—adding pressure on security forces. Still, the Yatra must go on. Our lives cannot be held hostage to such violence.

PM Modi at a briefing on Pahalgam attack | ANI

The brazen attack on unsuspecting tourists at Pahalgam on 22 April by The Resistance Front, is no less barbarous than the 7 October attacks by Hamas on Israel. That both attacks have their roots in fundamentalist Muslim organisations should serve as a wake-up call to nations across the world who are still shy of condemning terrorists and terrorist organisations out of an ill-conceived notion of liberalism. The TRF is nothing but a different version of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, re-branded after the abrogation of Article 370 in an attempt to remove the Islamic fundamentalist footprint and mask it as a home-grown insurgency. The deliberate targetting of only the men-folk points to a higher direction by controllers abroad, working to a strict plan and time-line.

The UT of Jammu and Kashmir has always been susceptible to terrorist attacks, aided and abetted by handlers in Pakistan.  Major terrorist strikes have always coincided with other events on the national or international stage. This time was no different. Prime Minister Modi was in Saudi Arabia on a state visit, while US Vice President JD Vance was on his maiden visit to India. The growing Saudi Arabia-India relationship is eroding Pakistan’s standing in the Muslim world, which is increasingly seeing Pakistan as a liability. This was also preceded by an extremely vitriolic speech by General Asim Munir, Pakistan’s Army Chief which would have only encouraged and emboldened the terrorists.

It is painfully apparent that such dastardly attacks are meant to disturb the peaceful environment in Kashmir and destabilise Bharat by creating a sense of instability in the minds of foreign investors and sowing the seeds of mistrust between different communities.

What next?

The location of the terrorist attack is also significant. It is not only a major tourist destination but also on the route to Amarnath, with the pilgrimage to the Amarnath cave scheduled to commence in the first week of June. This will no doubt place an additional burden on the Security Forces in the days leading up to the Yatra and its actual duration. Nevertheless, the yatra must go on, our daily lives cannot be and should not be allowed to be disrupted by or held hostage to such wanton acts of violence.

What will our response be? And there should be no doubt that there will be one. However, in the aftermath of the attack, Pakistan will be on guard, knowing that it is now in the cross hairs. Let them be on tenterhooks for a while till they start jumping at shadows.  Meanwhile, we must build up global support through political, diplomatic and military channels of communication, for our retaliatory measures for when (not if) it happens, which could be in multiple domains, both kinetic and non-kinetic. It is time for India to bare its fangs and not fall prey to calls for restraint, or third-party assurances. India can always borrow from the US or Israeli playbook and draw support from international law which allows for such responses.

As said by French author and army general, Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, revenge is a dish better served cold.

General Manoj Mukund Naravane PVSM AVSM SM VSM is a retired Indian Army General who served as the 28th Chief of the Army Staff. Views are personal.

(Edited by Theres Sudeep)