Islamabad, Apr 23 (PTI) Pakistan on Wednesday said it condoles the death of tourists in the terror attack in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir that killed 26 people.

“We are concerned at the loss of tourists’ lives in an attack in Anantnag district. We extend our condolences to the near ones of the deceased and wish the injured a speedy recovery,” Foreign Office spokesperson said responding to media queries about the attack.

Terrorists opened fire in Pahalgam on Tuesday afternoon, killing 26 people, mostly tourists, in what is the deadliest attack in the Valley since the Pulwama strike in 2019.

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

Officials said it was possible the terror group members had crossed over from Kishtwar in Jammu and reached Baisaran through Kokernag in south Kashmir.

Days earlier, Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir described Kashmir as Pakistan’s “jugular vein,” triggering a sharp response from New Delhi.

“Our stance is very clear, it was our jugular vein, it will be our jugular vein, and we will not forget it. We will not leave our Kashmiri brothers in their heroic struggle,” Gen Munir said while addressing the first Overseas Pakistanis Convention in Islamabad on April 15.

The event was also attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, senior ministers and Pakistanis living abroad.

India had slammed Munir’s remarks.

“How can anything foreign be in a jugular vein? This is a Union territory of India. Its only relationship with Pakistan is the vacation of illegally occupied territories by that country,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. PTI SH NPK ASH NPK NPK