26 Tourists Killed: India Shuts Border With Pakistan After Deadly Kashmir Massacre
India has taken unprecedented measures against Pakistan following a brutal terrorist attack in Kashmir that killed 26 tourists. In response, New Delhi closed a key border crossing, suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, and revoked a visa exemption scheme for Pakistani nationals.
Diplomatic Breakdown After Cross-Border Attack
Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri stated after a high-level security meeting that evidence pointed to cross-border involvement. “Until Pakistan credibly and irreversibly ends its support for terrorism,” he added, “we are suspending cooperation.”
Pakistan has denied any role, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to convene a national security meeting to discuss the crisis.
Militants Executed Tourists Based on Religious Knowledge
The attack, which occurred in the Pahalgam area of Kashmir, saw militants reportedly ask male tourists to recite Islamic verses. Those who failed were shot. Survivors described the horror as a targeted execution masked as religious testing.
Asavari Jagdale, who lost her father and uncle, recalled how the gunmen killed them when they failed to comply. Another survivor, professor Debasish Bhattacharyya, survived by reciting the verses correctly.
Militant Group Claims Responsibility
The group Kashmir Resistance claimed responsibility, stating the victims were linked to Indian security forces. They also protested the settlement of over 85,000 "outsiders" in the region, accusing the government of changing Kashmir’s demographics.
Nation on Edge: Modi Reacts Swiftly
Prime Minister Narendra Modi cut short his visit to Saudi Arabia and returned to hold an emergency meeting with national security officials. The government launched a large-scale military operation across the region to track down the attackers.
Kashmir’s Tourism Shattered
The attack triggered a mass exodus of tourists from the valley. Airlines added emergency flights from Srinagar as panic spread. “We can’t travel in fear,” said one visitor from Delhi. Locals fear long-term damage to Kashmir’s fragile tourism industry.
Backdrop: Rising Violence Since 2019
The violence follows growing unrest in Kashmir since India revoked Article 370 in 2019, altering the region’s autonomy. Activists and journalists have since faced severe restrictions, and militant attacks against non-local workers have surged.
Pakistan expressed “concern” over the attack but strongly denied involvement. Meanwhile, global leaders are watching closely as Indo-Pak tensions escalate.