Union defence minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday expressed deep sorrow over the loss of innocent lives in the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir and vowed that the government would respond with firm action and reiterated India’s uncompromising stand against terrorism.

People involved in the dastardly terror attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam will get a strong response in the "near future" and India cannot be "intimidated" by any such terrorist activities, Rajnath Singh said on Wednesday.

His remarks in an address at an event came a day after 26 people were killed by terrorists in Pahalgam in an attack that triggered wide-spread outrage within India and abroad.

"From this platform, I assure the countrymen that in view of the incident, the government of India will take every step that is necessary and appropriate," Singh said.

"And we will not only trace those who perpetrated this incident. We will also reach out to those who, sitting behind the scenes, have conspired to carry out the nefarious act on the soil of India," he said.

The defence minister said "India is such an old civilization and such a big country that it cannot be intimidated by any such terrorist activities."

"The people responsible for such acts will soon get a loud and strong response, I want to assure the country," he said.

Singh described the attack in Pahalgam as "extremely inhuman" that has "left all of us in deep grief and pain".

"I would like to reiterate India's firm resolve that we have a zero tolerance policy against terrorism," he said.

Every citizen of India is united against this cowardly act, he added.

Singh was to visit Ladakh on April 25 and 26.

The defence minister cancelled his upcoming visit to Ladkah, sources said.

Singh on Wednesday reviewed the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

PTI sources said the nearly two-and-a-half-hour meeting was attended by NSA Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi and Air Chief Marshal AK Singh.

Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and Director General of Military Operations Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai too joined the meeting.

The meeting discussed all possible aspects of the situation that emerged following the dastardly attack, the sources said declining to share further details.

It is learnt that Singh directed the armed forces to enhance their combat readiness and increase intensity of anti-terror operations.

In the meeting, Army Chief Gen Dwivedi presented a detailed overview of the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir including deployment of his forces.

Strongly condemning the terror attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said those behind the "heinous act" will be brought to justice.

Several meetings on the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir have taken place since Tuesday's terror attack in Pahalgam.

PM Modi returned to New Delhi this morning after cutting short his two-day trip to Saudi Arabia.

Home minister Amit Shah rushed to Srinagar on Tuesday evening to spearhead the security measures.

Shortly after landing in Delhi, Modi held a meeting with NSA Doval, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.