NEW DELHI: Russian President Vladimir Putin called Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday and strongly condemned the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) said.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posted on X, saying, “President Putin offered his deepest condolences for the loss of innocent lives and assured full support to India in its fight against terrorism. He emphasised that the perpetrators of the heinous attack and their supporters must be brought to justice.”
During the call, both leaders agreed to further strengthen the close partnership between India and Russia. PM Modi also wished Putin on the 80th anniversary of Victory Day and invited him to visit India later this year for the Annual Summit.
The conversation took place at a sensitive time, especially as PM Modi had recently decided to skip a visit to Russia amid rising tensions with Pakistan.
Just days earlier, external affairs minister S Jaishankar spoke with Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov about the growing tensions following the Pahalgam attack.
The April 22 attack, which took place in the scenic tourist area of Pahalgam – often called “mini Switzerland” – was the deadliest in Kashmir since the 2019 Pulwama bombing. Tourists were targeted in the shooting.
A terror group known as The Resistance Front (TRF), believed to be linked to Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), was first blamed, but the group later denied its role in the attack.