Kathmandu, April 23: Indian Navy Lieutenant Binay Narwal (26) was among the victims of the deadly terrorist attack that took place in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on Tuesday. The young officer from Karnal district, Haryana, had gone to Kashmir for his honeymoon just four days after his wedding.

Narwal was married on April 16, with a reception held on April 19, and traveled to Kashmir on April 21 with his wife Himanshi, as they couldn’t go to Switzerland due to visa delays.

“He wanted to go abroad, but when that didn’t work out, they chose Kashmir,” said his grandfather Hawa Singh Narwal, who emotionally demanded justice: “Strict action should be taken. If he had not been ambushed, he could have taken down two or four terrorists himself.”

Narwal was posted in Kochi and had joined the Indian Navy two years ago after completing his B.Tech. He was the only son in the family and leaves behind a younger sister preparing for the UPSC.

A heart-wrenching photo of Himanshi sitting silently next to her husband’s body has gone viral on social media, symbolizing the personal toll of terrorism.

The attack, which occurred in the Basran Valley of Pahalgam, also known as Kashmir’s “mini Switzerland”, killed at least 28 people, including two foreigners. One in every two foreign victims was reportedly Nepali.

Indian Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh Tripathi expressed deep sorrow, calling Narwal’s death a result of a “cowardly attack.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who returned midway from a visit to Saudi Arabia, condemned the attack and vowed to punish the culprits. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah termed it the deadliest attack on civilians in recent years.

The injured have been admitted to Government Medical College, Anantnag, as the nation mourns the loss of innocent lives.