It was supposed to be Swiss India. In Kashmir they attacked tourists during Vance’s visit
26 people died in the attack.
Phalgam, BRATISLAVA. In the middle of the meadow to the top of the slope, chaos broke out, during which weeping and screaming people ran through all directions to the surrounding forests.
Tuesday’s shooting in Kashmir is the worst regional attack against civilians in recent years. According to TV BBC It is an unusual attack mainly because over the last two decades of the conflict, tourists have rarely been the target of separatists.
The attack, which killed 26 people, occurred near the popular tourist city of Phalgam, which is often referred to as local Switzerland. According to the authorities, 17 people are injured.
The city is the main tourist destination in the restless Himalayan region thanks to its mountain meadows, snowy slopes and pine forests, the daily explains the daily The Independent With the fact that it is possible to go to a specific site of the attack, which is located in the surrounding nature of Phalgam, only on foot or on horses.
And it was the demanding terrain that significantly complicated the Indian army, as it could not intervene promptly against the shooters. In various shots from social networks, it is possible to see how security forces are fleeing behind terrorists.
Indian Prime Minister Naréndra Fashion, who after the attack interrupted his journey to Saudi Arabia, said he would put the perpetrators to justice. « Our determination to fight terrorism is adamant, » he said on a social network. No group has been responsible for the attack for the attack.
In the article you can read:
- What conflicts have taken place in Kashmir in the last decades,
- Why do separatists attack tourists,
- What does Vance’s visit to India have,
- that the separatists also attacked during Clinton’s visit to India.
British division of the subcontinent
India and Pakistan, in particular, have a dispute on the Himalayan region, while both countries also have nuclear weapons in their arsenal, which regularly intensifies the conflict.
States of each other in the past have led several wars. The dispute arose almost immediately after the United Kingdom in 1947 divided the subcontinent. In the area, however, feel the influence of China, which also is entitled to part of the Himalayan region.
Since the 1990s, the armed separatist uprising against Indian domination in the region has claimed several tens of thousands of victims, including civilians and soldiers.
Muslims have been mostly living in the Kashmir region, and although there have been riots for several decades, violence has been receding in recent years. The last attack on civilians occurred in June 2024, when militants killed nine people and wounded 33 during fire -fighting with Hinduist.
Indian army disposed of two gunmen in Kashmir Read
However, the crimes of the period between 2000 and 2003 are considered to be extensive attacks on civilians, when separatists have murdered dozens of people every six months on various occasions, the television specifies Al-Jazeera.
In the case of military goals, in 2019, a serious crisis caused a suicidal bomb attack that killed 46 Indian soldiers and encouraged Indian air raids to targets in Pakistan.
India blames the Pakistani government of inciting violence in the region, and Islamabad denies the accusation claiming that the cashmerers perceive resistance as a legitimate struggle for freedom.
In the meantime, the Pakistani government said it was « concerned » by the loss of the lives of tourists and expressed their condolences to the relatives of the victims and wished the injured people an early recovery.
According to the authorities, several shot tourists are in critical condition. The area is bounded, while the search operation of the Indian army after terrorists is in progress.
On a sightseeing trip
At the moment Kashmir It is mainly managed by India. At the same time, there are approximately 500,000 Indian soldiers on the spot, claiming that violence has been reduced, since 2019 abolished the semi-autonomy of the Himalayan region and introduced extensive security measures.
Since then, the Indian army in the region has maintained order in a drastic way because it limits dissent and freedom on the spot.
In any case, Phalgam is a popular tourist destination at both domestic and foreign level, and in recent years the Indian government has tried to increase the support of tourism in the region. At the same time, the place that attracts thousands of pilgrims is on the main route of the annual Hindu pilgrimage Amarnath Yatra and serves as one of the largest base camps. The pilgrimage will begin in 2025 July on July 3 and will end on 9 August.
According to official data, Kashmir visited about 3.5 million tourists in 2024, he says BBC.
Fashion is expected to soon open the railway line into the Kashmir Valley worth several billion euros, which, according to the Indian government, will additionally help development in the region. Currently, according to The Independent The inhabitants fear that the tourism in which thousands of people work will negatively affect the attack.
Atul Mone, a friend of Maheš Sursse, also died in the attack. “He was like a brother for me,” he says for BBC Surse, who Monea knew for 25 years.
Surse and his family also planned a trip to Kashmir, but eventually canceled his reservation. « We are very shocked, » says Surse’s wife Vanita. « Until the (Indian) government does not ensure the safety of tourists, people should not go there at all. »
In the meantime, the attack has condemned several world leaders including US President Donald Trump. Vladimir Putin.
« Kashmir’s news is deeply disturbing. The US is firmly standing with India in the fight against terrorism, » Trump said on the social network.
According to von Der Leyen, the event embodies the « abominable » terrorist attack, while Putin expressed sincere condolences to relatives of the victims.
The Independent At the same time, he points out that the attack occurred the day after the meeting of fashion and American Vice President JD Vance in the Ho Dílí. VANCE It is currently on the cognitive trip of India.
« Over the past few days, we have been surrounded by the beauty of India and her people. Our thoughts and prayers are with them while mourning this terrible attack, » Vance said.
Militants have already planned attacks in the past to match visits to prominent political personalities. One of the most famous attacks is the killing of 35 civilians in Kashmir in 2000, which became the former US President William Clinton on the eve of India’s state visit.
