Top security brass in New Delhi discusses J&K, internal security

New Delhi, Apr 24: Top security officers of the country on Thursday closeted here for an hour at a high-level meeting chaired by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, sources said. Intelligence Bureau Director Tapan Deka, R&AW chief Ravi Sinha and a few other senior security officials attended the meeting which took place a day after the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) met in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed.

The top officials took stock of the prevailing situation in Jammu and Kashmir as well as other parts of the country and key national security issues, the sources said. However, there has been no official confirmation about the subjects discussed at the meeting.

After the meeting of the CCS on Wednesday, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government had announced the suspension of the India-Pakistan Indus Water Treaty, downgrading bilateral ties and shutting down the Attari checkpost. The security forces have been directed by the government to maintain "high vigil", the sources said.

The government has also highlighted the cross-border linkages to the Pahalgam attack at the CCS meeting following which it decided to take the measures against Pakistan. On Thursday, at a rally in Madhubani, Modi declared that India will identify, track, and punish every terrorist and their backers involved in the Pahalgam carnage and pursue the killers to the ends of the earth.

Later in the evening at an all party meeting held here, leaders across party lines sought decisive action for destroying terror camps and opposition MPs raised the issue of security lapses but assured that they are with the government in dealing with the issue of terrorism.