India Blames Pakistan for Kashmir Attack that Kills 26

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The most deadly attack since 2000 in Kashmir, which is administered by India, killed at least 26 men, injured more than a dozen more, and amped up chronic antagonism between India and Pakistan toward potential full-blown conflict between the nuclear powers.

Around 14:45 local time, armed men wearing camouflage came out of a forest and “opened indiscriminate fire at Baisaran meadow, a scenic uphill area accessible only by foot or pony rides,” according to an official who requested anonymity. This is the height of tourist season when hundreds of thousands holiday in the region, and tourists were caught unawares. Armed rebellion has simmered there for three decades. USA Vice President J.D. Vance was visiting India when the attack occurred.

The Resistance Front, which is thought to have sprung from the Pakistani-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility in a statement of unconfirmed authenticity. It complained about Kashmire residency permits given to Indian citizens.

Until 2019 Kashmir was semi-autonomous, but then India overrode that status. India split Kashmir into two territories and took more federal control. India then issued residence permits to non-Kashmiris, a previously banned practice. India also cracked down on thousands of activists and civilians with arrests under laws that allow them to be detained without trial for a long time.

In October 2024, after nearly a decade Kashmir voted in a new leader by a landslide. Omar Abdullah’s campaign promised to regain autonomy, In office, he is tightly constrained by laws India has set and many powers now reside in a lieutenant governor chosen by India.

All of this heightened political friction and set the stage for today’s attack.

India blamed Pakistan for the deaths in Pahalgam.

Indian Home Minister Amit Shah and other top Indian security officials hurried to Kashmir. Prime Minister Narendra Modi abruptly ended a visit in Saudi Arabia to lead a meeting in New Delhi about how India will respond.

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