NYT shifts tone, calls Pahalgam attackers 'terrorists' after India strikes terror hubs in Pakistan
New Delhi: In a notable shift, The New York Times described the perpetrators of the Pahalgam attack as “terrorists” in a headline reporting India’s cross-border retaliatory strike under Operation Sindoor.
The front-page headline on its website read: “India Strikes Pakistan Two Weeks After Terrorist Attack in Kashmir,” reported India Today
The paper’s new tone comes after widespread backlash for initially referring to the assailants as “militants” and “gunmen,” sparking accusations of downplaying the brutality of the April 22 assault that killed 26 people in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam.
The terminology change follows a stinging rebuke from the US House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Sharing a screenshot of The New York Times’ original headline — “At Least 24 Tourists Gunned Down by Militants in Kashmir” — the committee posted an edited version, replacing “militants” with “terrorists” in bold red letters.
“Hey, @nytimes we fixed it for you. This was a TERRORIST ATTACK plain and simple,” the post read. “Whether it's India or Israel, when it comes to TERRORISM the NYT is removed from reality.”
While the headline now aligns with the terminology used by Indian officials, the body of the NYT report continued to use varied descriptors like “militants” and “gunmen.”
The article cited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks, stating he had called the incident “the worst against civilians in the region for years” and a “terror attack,” vowing to bring those responsible to justice.
The NYT also reported India’s claim that it had gathered “evidence pointing towards the clear involvement of Pakistan-based terrorists” before launching the strikes.
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