PM holds key security meet, Defence Minister, NSA, Chief of Defence Staff present

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh - who last week vowed a "strong response" to the attack and repeated the PM's assurance, that India will punish the terrorists and their handlers - was present, as were  National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan.

The meeting comes a day before the PM-led Cabinet Committee on Security, the government's highest decision-making body on national security, is to meet for a second time in seven days.

Sources said that meet will be followed by a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, which is also led by the Prime Minister and includes the Road Transport Minister, the Health Minister, the Agriculture Minister, and the Railways Minister, among others, in addition to the five-member CCS.