Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is facing enormous pressure to deliver a forceful response following one of the deadliest militant attacks in Kashmir in recent years – an incident that analysts warn could inflame tensions with Pakistan and plunge the region into turmoil.
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At least 26 people were killed and 17 injured when suspected militants opened fire on a group of tourists in a meadow near the Pahalgam area of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, local police said.
The picturesque Himalayan town is popular among domestic travellers and film crews, and the violence has shattered a period of relative calm in a region long marred by separatist insurgency.
“This is not an incident where a group does something and the Indian government will keep quiet about it,” said Ajay Darshan Behera, an international studies professor at Jamia Millia Islamia University in Delhi.
While no state actor has been officially linked to the incident, Behera claimed the operation bore hallmarks of the Pakistan military.
“The professional manner in which it was carried out has the Pakistan army’s imprint on it,” he said, adding that the choice of location, the escape routes and the timing showed meticulous planning beyond the capability of local groups.