Gunmen open fire on tourists in Himalayan region, killing at least 26 people, police say

Gunmen killed astatine slightest 26 radical and injured a twelve others successful a suspected panic onslaught successful the disputed Himalayan portion of Jammu and Kashmir connected Tuesday, a uncommon battle connected tourists successful an country fraught by decades of insurgency and absorption to India’s rule.

The onslaught took spot successful a fashionable tourer destination successful Pahalgam, successful the mountainous Anantnag district, and is the region’s worst battle connected civilians successful years.

A radical of tourists were fired connected by suspected militants, authorities said. Most of the 26 radical killed are understood to beryllium travelers.

Among the victims was a Nepali national, and different idiosyncratic of “Indian root who works successful the Middle East,” V K Birdi, inspector wide of constabulary successful Kashmir, told CNN.

He added that the onslaught “did not hap successful a mean place,” but was located successful a portion of the Baisaran Valley – which is lone accessible by ft oregon connected horseback. The deadly battle unfolded successful a meadow, with mountainous ridges nearby, that stretched respective miles without immoderate car roads, helium said.

One eyewitness told the quality bureau Press Trust of India that unidentified gunmen opened occurrence connected the tourists from adjacent range.

“My hubby was changeable successful the caput portion 7 others were besides injured successful the attack,” 1 pistillate subsister said, according to PTI.

Another survivor, Asavari Jagdale, told PTI the gunmen came into the structure wherever her household was hiding. The attackers accused the household – hailing from India’s occidental Pune metropolis – of supporting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, earlier shooting Jagdale’s antheral relatives, including her father, she said.

Local nonmigratory Gulzar Ahmad described chaos erupting aft the gunfire, with hundreds of radical “panicking each around,” according to PTI.

‘Stop terrorism’

A little-known militant radical called The Resistance Front claimed work for the onslaught connected societal media, voicing discontent astatine “outsiders” who had settled successful the portion and caused a “demographic change.” It did not supply evidence, and CNN cannot independently verify its claim.

Birdi told CNN authorities were alert the radical had claimed responsibility, but said they were inactive investigating the matter. As of Wednesday, authorities are present carrying retired aesculapian examinations connected the victims, and arranging planes to transport the bodies and their families.

The picturesque Himalayan region, administered successful portion by some India and Pakistan though inactive disputed by some sides, is often rife with unit – but attacks connected tourists are rare.

In a connection connected X, Modi condemned the onslaught and sent his condolences to those who had been affected. “Those down this heinous enactment volition beryllium brought to justice… they volition not beryllium spared! Their evil docket volition ne'er succeed,” helium said.

By Tuesday night, outraged residents had gathered successful the portion to protest. Videos of the protestation amusement a assemblage chanting slogans, holding candles and signs that read: “Stop terrorism.” Other signs called for the resignation of Indian Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah.

Following the attack, Modi chopped abbreviated his two-day sojourn to Saudi Arabia aft gathering with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Following the attack, Modi chopped abbreviated his two-day sojourn to Saudi Arabia aft gathering with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The Indian Army corps liable for subject operations successful the country of the onslaught said a hunt cognition was underway to bring “the attackers to justice.”

Shah, the location minister, arrived successful the portion connected Tuesday and chaired a high-level information meeting, his bureau said. Meanwhile the Private Schools’ Association of Jammu and Kashmir announced that each backstage schools would stay unopen Wednesday.

A spokesperson from Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs extended condolences to the victims, adding: “We are acrophobic astatine the nonaccomplishment of tourists’ lives successful an onslaught successful Anantnag territory of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.”

The onslaught came a time aft US Vice President JD Vance arrived successful India for a sojourn with his family. On Tuesday, helium shared condolences connected X, writing: “Over the past fewer days, we person been flooded with the quality of this state and its people. Our thoughts and prayers are with them arsenic they mourn this horrific attack.”

US President Donald Trump besides condemned the attack, expressing US solidarity with India against coercion and calling Modi to convey his condolences, according to Indian authorities.

Other leaders from Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Iran, France, Italy and the UAE besides expressed condemnation.

A restive region

Claimed successful its entirety by some India and Pakistan, the mountainous Kashmir portion has been astatine the epicenter of an often-violent territorial conflict betwixt the nuclear-armed neighbors for much than 70 years. The portion is 1 of the world’s astir unsafe flashpoints, and a de facto borderline called the Line of Control divides the areas overseen by New Delhi and Islamabad.

Throughout the past 2 decades, respective home militant groups, demanding either independency for Kashmir oregon for the country to go portion of Pakistan, person fought Indian information forces, with tens of thousands of radical killed successful the violence.

Violence surged successful 2018, and the Indian authorities took greater power of the portion successful 2019 amid a dense subject beingness and a monthslong communications blackout.

While the Indian authorities has said that militancy has since been reduced, attacks proceed to plague the region.

On Tuesday, a determination spokesperson from Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused Pakistan of fueling coercion successful the region, and called the onslaught an “outcome of Pakistan’s frustration.”

“Pakistan and its proxies are incapable to digest the instrumentality of bid and tourism successful Jammu and Kashmir. They privation to stifle maturation and plunge the portion backmost into fear. But we won’t let that to happen,” Altaf Thakur said.

Pakistan’s defence curate Khawaja Asif denied immoderate nexus to the attack.

“We person thing to bash with this, and we bash not enactment coercion anywhere,” helium said successful a TV interrogation with a Pakistani quality outlet.

Pahalgam lies connected a large pilgrimage route, known arsenic the Amarnath Yatra, which takes spot each twelvemonth and has been exposed to erstwhile attacks.

Thousands of tourists flock to Kashmir during its highest play each year, which runs from March to August.

The past large onslaught connected tourists successful the portion took spot successful June. At slightest 9 radical were killed and 33 others injured erstwhile a autobus carrying Hindu pilgrims plunged into a gorge, aft suspected militants fired connected the vehicle.

This communicative has been updated with further information.

Mukhtar Ahmad reported from Kashmir, Esha Mitra reported from New Delhi, Sophia Saifi reported from Islamabad and Kara Fox wrote from London.

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