By Reena Bhardwaj

Washington, DC [US], April 23 (ANI): India's Ambassador to the United States Vinay Mohan Kwatra on Wednesday highlighted the global human cost of terrorism while marking one year since the Pahalgam terror attack, saying such acts are a 'scourge on humanity' that must be defeated with collective resolve.

Speaking to ANI during a special exhibition titled 'The Human Cost of Terrorism,' Kwatra said the event commemorates innocent lives lost to terror worldwide and serves as a reminder of the need for a united response against terrorism.

'Essentially, you know, remembering the precious lives that were lost due to the ghastly acts of terrorism all across the world. The exhibition has a detailed listing of all such accidents. This day particularly sits very heavily, weighs very heavily on India and the rest of the world because today we mark the first anniversary, the first anniversary of the ghastly terror acts of Pahalgam in which 26 innocent Indian civilians were killed by armed terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir exactly a year ago. I think acts like Pahalgam and other terrorist acts are acts of cowardice against humanity. The exhibition, the special exhibition today, essentially serves to remind us of a few things,' he told ANI.

'One, the scourge of terror on humanity is very much bent upon destroying our societies and the ways of our lives. Two, how Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been very, very clear in terms of the resolve of India, unwavering with this scourge and defeating it completely. So I think the special exhibition today, which brings together congressmen, senators, members of the Indian community and members of the press here this evening, essentially showcases the human cost of terrorism and determination to deal with it and, of course, defeat it,' Kwatra further said.

Marking one year since the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives, the nation recalled the shock of April 22, 2025, when terrorists struck the scenic tourist town in Jammu and Kashmir.

The assailants entered and killed 26 civilians, most tourists, turning the picturesque location into a site of bloodshed.

In the cross-border communal attack in Pahalgam, the assailants questioned the victims about their religion before killing them, leaving families grappling with loss even a year later.

As India mourned, what followed was decisive action by the Indian armed forces in the form of Operation Sindoor.

The Indian armed forces struck terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) during the operation launched on May 7, 2025. According to official details, the forces destroyed nine major terror launchpads linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Hizbul Mujahideen and eliminated over 100 terrorists. (ANI)