Breaking News – PM Modi to Address Nation at 8 PM Today

New Delhi: In a much-anticipated speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will speak to the nation at 8 PM tonight, marking his first public address since India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire following days of intense military exchanges. The escalation began after India’s decisive Operation Sindoor, launched in response to the brutal terror attack in Pahalgam last month.

The Trigger: Pahalgam Terror Attack

On April 22, a group of terrorists opened fire on tourists in Jammu and Kashmir’s scenic Pahalgam, killing 26 people—24 Indian tourists, a Nepali visitor, and a local pony handler who was shot dead while trying to save others. Investigations revealed that the attackers, linked to Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, had carried out religious profiling before the massacre.

India’s Retaliation: Operation Sindoor

Facing nationwide outrage, the government took swift diplomatic action—halting the Indus Water Treaty, canceling Pakistani visas, and sealing the Attari border. But the most significant response came on May 7, when Indian forces struck terror camps across nine locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

The precision strikes wiped out Lashkar and Jaish-e-Mohammed headquarters, eliminating nearly 100 terrorists, including key operatives behind past attacks like Pulwama (2019) and the IC-814 hijacking (1999). Among those killed were:

• Mudassar Khadian Khas and Khalid (Abu Akasha) of Lashkar
• Mohammed Yusuf Azhar (Jaish founder Masood Azhar’s brother-in-law and mastermind of the Kandahar hijacking)
• Hafiz Mohammed Jaleel and Mohammad Hassan Khan of Jaish

Pakistan’s Response and India’s Counterstrike

Pakistan retaliated with drone and missile attacks along Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, and Rajasthan borders. But India hit back harder, targeting military installations deep inside Pakistani territory—including radar sites near Lahore and Gujranwala, as well as command centers in Rafiqui, Chaklala, and Sialkot.

Ceasefire and What’s Next

On Saturday, the US announced that both countries had agreed to a ceasefire, later confirmed by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. However, India clarified that the truce followed direct talks between the two armies, not foreign mediation.

The government has made it clear: any future terror strike from Pakistan will be treated as an act of war, with a fitting response.

As the nation waits for PM Modi’s address tonight, the focus remains on India’s next steps in ensuring security while maintaining strategic restraint.