India’s military can decide on the response to the killing of 26 people in the Himalayan region of Kashmir last week, the Economic Times newspaper reported on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the armed forces a free hand to decide on the timing, target and mode of responding to the attack in a meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Defence Chief Anil Chauhan, the newspaper said citing people it didn’t identify.