India’s army chief will review security arrangements on Friday. He will also visit the site of a deadly attack on tourists in Indian Kashmir earlier this week. Fears of fresh tensions with Pakistan are spooking markets. Pakistan is India’s long-time rival and neighbor.
India has accused “Pakistani elements” of involvement in Tuesday’s attack. Militants shot 26 men in a meadow in the Pahalgam area. Islamabad has denied any involvement.
The nuclear-armed nations have taken several measures against each other. India is keeping a critical river water-sharing treaty in abeyance. Pakistan is closing its airspace to Indian airlines, among other steps.
General Upendra Dwivedi will visit Kashmir on Friday. He will review security arrangements and likely visit the attack site, an army source said. This comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed to chase the perpetrators to “the ends of the earth”.
Indian stock markets fell on Friday. Key indices were down by around 1%. The rupee turned lower, and the 10-year benchmark bond yield jumped 4 basis points.
IndiGo and Air India said some international routes will be affected. These routes include flights to the United States and Europe. Pakistani airspace closure will cause extended flight times and diversions.
Some fear India could conduct a military strike in Pakistani territory. This would be similar to the 2019 retaliation for a suicide bombing in Indian-controlled Kashmir. That bombing killed at least 40 Indian paramilitary police.
Several leaders of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party have called for military action against Pakistan.
Both countries claim Muslim-majority Kashmir in full but rule it in part. India, a Hindu majority nation, has long accused Pakistan of aiding separatists. These separatists have battled security forces in its part of the territory, accusations Islamabad denies.
Indian security agencies say “Kashmir Resistance is a front for Pakistan-based militant organizations.”
Indian officials say Tuesday’s attack had “cross-border linkages.” Kashmiri police identified three people “involved” in the violence. They said two were Pakistani nationals. India has not elaborated on the links or shared proof.
Modi said those killed in the attack “belonged all parts of India.” Television channels showed images of funerals taking place in several states.
Pictures of women wailing and people praying in front of burning pyres were prominent in national dailies. Many of the 26 dead were cremated.
Authorities in Indian Kashmir demolished the houses of two suspected militants early on Friday. One is accused in Tuesday’s attack, an official said.
Governments in many states ruled by Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party have torn down houses or shops. They claim these are illegal structures belonging to people accused of crimes. Many of them are Muslims. This practice is known as “instant, bulldozer justice”.
Sporadic firing was reported along the Line of Control. The Indian army said this occurred despite a 2021 ceasefire. This ceasefire divides Indian and Pakistani Kashmir and has been violated several times.
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