More than half of the tourist destinations in India’s insurgency-torn Kashmir region were closed to the public from Tuesday in a move to tighten security after last week’s attack on holiday-makers.
The assailants in the attack in the Pahalgam on April 22nd segregated men, asked their names and targeted Hindus before shooting them at close range, killing 26 people.
India has identified the three attackers, including two Pakistani nationals, as “terrorists” waging a violent revolt in Muslim-majority Kashmir.
Hindu-majority India accuses Islamic Pakistan of funding and encouraging militancy in Kashmir, the Himalayan region both nations claim in full but rule in part. Islamabad says it only provides moral and diplomatic support to a Kashmiri demand for self-determination. It denies any role in last week’s attack and has called for an investigation.
A win ‘for democrats all around the world’. Canada’s Mark Carney prepares to take on Trump
Massive blackout raises questions about Spanish energy strategy
Westminster never forgets its murdered MPs - which is why Kneecap’s comments could not be overlooked
Spain power outage: People trapped in lifts and metros while ATMs go dark as country left ‘stunned’
Tensions between the nuclear-armed south Asian neighbours have increased since the attack, along with calls in India for action against Pakistan. Prime minister Narendra Modi met Indian military chiefs on Tuesday at his residence, along with the Indian defence minister and the national security adviser, a government source said. Mr Modi, the source said, told the military chiefs that they had the freedom to decide India’s response to the Pahalgam attack.
Delhi and Islamabad have taken a raft of measures against each other since the attack. India has suspended the Indus Waters Treaty – an important river-sharing pact. Pakistan, which described the treaty suspension as an “act of war”, has closed its airspace to Indian airlines.
The government of India’s Jammu and Kashmir territory has decided to shut 48 of the 87 tourist destinations in Kashmir, and has enhanced security at the remaining ones, according to a government document. No time frame for the closures was given. Government officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Nestled in the Himalayas with lofty peaks, picturesque valleys and grand Mughal-era gardens, Kashmir has been emerging as India’s tourism hotspot as violence there has waned in recent years. But the Pahalgam attack has left panic-stricken tourists seeking an early exit at the start of the busy summer season.
Shooting has also increased along the 740km de facto border separating the Indian and Pakistani areas of Kashmir.
On Tuesday, for the fifth consecutive day, the Indian army said it had responded to “unprovoked” small arms fire from multiple Pakistan army posts around midnight. It gave no further details and reported no casualties. The Pakistani military did not respond to a request for comment.
A militant group called the Resistance Front initially claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack but later retracted the claim, saying it had been the victim of a “cyber intrusion”.
Pakistani defence minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said on Monday that a military incursion by India was imminent and it had reinforced its forces in preparation.
Indian military authorities have identified attempts by Pakistan-based hackers to infiltrate four websites associated with the military and harvest information, including a website of an organisation tasked with building homes for serving and retired Indian army personnel, two officials familiar with the matter said. − Reuters
