Jammu, Apr 23 (PTI) Several parts of Jammu region observed a complete shutdown on Wednesday to protest the terror attack in Pahalgam, officials said.

Besides Jammu city, shutdown was observed in Reasi, Udhampur, Katra, Kathua, and Samba.

Protests were held in several parts of Jammu city, with many protesters raising anti-Pakistan slogans.

“We want a befitting reply to Pakistan on the pattern of surgical strikes to destroy terror bases there. We want terrorists and their supporters in J-K to be eliminated,” senior BJP leader Yudhvir Sethi told reporters here.

He further said Pakistan will never end support to terrorism and that strict action should be taken.

“We want to avenge the killings. Security forces should take revenge,” another BJP leader Rajesh Gupta said.

In Reasi, hundreds of people took out a march and burnt tyres as a mark of protest.

The bandh brought normal life in Jammu city to a grinding halt.Shops and business establishments remained closed, and public transport was off the roads in response to the shutdown call given by several civil society groups and trade bodies.

Several educational institutions were closed, and attendance was lower than usual in government offices. The Jammu Bar Association also observed shut down against the killings.

Several organisations, including the Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Transporters Association, Jammu Bar Association, and the Congress, called for a complete shutdown in Jammu.

“The situation during the shutdown is normal. There are no reports of any untoward incident from anywhere in the region,” an officer said.

The administration is in close touch with community leaders to maintain harmony.

Additional deployments of police and paramilitary forces were made in vulnerable locations, while checkpoints were set up to monitor movement, officials said.

The killings in Pahalgam have sent shockwaves across the country, drawing condemnation from political parties, human rights groups, and citizens alike.

Many termed the attack a heinous assault on the spirit of Kashmiriyat and the region’s age-old tradition of hospitality.

Former Jammu and Kashmir DGP SP Vaid termed it as a “Pulwama 2 moment” for India.

“This attack is not a coincidence; it is a well-planned operation. I have said this earlier too… these are Pakistan SSG commandos dressed as terrorists. A couple of days ago, Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir made a statement, and now you see this kind of attack,” he said.

The former police chief further said, “Asim Munir is using ‘jihad’ language; the attack has been carried out in a similar fashion. The response should be similar to what Israel did after the Hamas attack. There should be an appropriate response.” Terrorists opened fire at a meadow near South Kashmir’s Pahalgam town on Tuesday afternoon, killing 26 people—mostly tourists—in what is being described as the deadliest attack in the Valley since the Pulwama strike in 2019. PTI AB DV DV