Calling the exodus “heartbreaking but understandable,” Abdullah took to microblogging site X, informing that steps are being taken to assist those choosing to leave.

He said the DGCA and Civil Aviation Ministry are coordinating additional flights, while NH-44 between Srinagar and Jammu has been partially reopened for one-way traffic.

Abdullah has directed the administration to facilitate controlled tourist movement, noting that the highway remains unstable in sections and efforts are on to clear stranded vehicles.

“We ask for public cooperation as unrestricted movement cannot be allowed yet,” he said, urging patience as authorities work to stabilize the situation.

Later today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a CCS meeting at 6 pm after Home Minister Amit Shah reviews the Pahalgam attack site. In Srinagar, after paying his tributes to the victims of the terrorist attack, Home Minister Amit Shah met their families.

In Baramulla district, security forces, this morning, successfully foiled an infiltration attempt and eliminated two terrorists in the ongoing operation. A heavy exchange of fire took place between the forces and the terrorists.

In national capital Delhi, immediately upon his arrival early morning today, PM Modi held a high-level security briefing at the airport with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra to assess the situation following the deadly terror attack.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, currently on a visit to the US, stated today that he had spoken with HM Shah, Jammu and Kashmir CM Abdullah, and state Congress chief Tariq Karra to get an update on the situation.

In one of the deadliest attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, Lashkar-linked terrorists opened fire on a group of tourists in Pahalgam on Tuesday, killing at least 26 people, including foreign nationals, and injuring several others. The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility for the attack.