UP, Delhi and Mumbai on alert after tourists killed in Pahalgam terror attack; security beefed up

Security has been beefed up in several Indian states after the Pahalgam attack

Several Indian states, including Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Mumbai, were placed on high alert after at least 26 tourists, including locals and foreign nationals, died in a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on Tuesday.

This attack has been the deadliest since the Pulwama attack of 2019. Police officials have beefed up security at major tourist hubs and border checkpoints. The Uttar Pradesh Police have been asked to stay vigilant, especially at places of religious interest.

Police have also been asked to conduct random checks on people and vehicles, following the Pahalgam attack on Tuesday. Instructions on foot patrolling have also been issued.

The alert in major Indian cities has come amid US Vice President JD Vance's ongoing four-day visit to India. "All senior Police Inspectors (SPIs) and Zonal Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs) are instructed to remain more alert and vigilant in their jurisdictions," a senior official was quoted as saying.

Home Minister Amit Shah rushed to Srinagar on Tuesday evening after the attack and conducted a high-level security meeting. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had left for Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, landed back in India on Wednesday morning after cutting short his trip. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also cut short her official trip to the US and Peru.

"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," PM Modi said in a social media post. He is likely to chair a cabinet committee meeting to discuss the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that the attack was "much larger than anything we’ve seen directed at civilians in recent years".