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In Kashmir, militants opened fire on tourists: at least 20 people were killed

At least 20 people have died as a result of an armed attack by militants on tourists in the city of Pahalgam, located in Indian Kashmir. The incident was the largest attack on civilians in the region in recent years. informs Reuters.

On April 22, militants opened fire on a group of tourists in Pahalgam, a popular mountain resort that has recently been recovering from a long period of violence. According to the police, the number of dead is at least 20 people. The attack took place in a remote mountainous area. According to preliminary data, two or three militants participated in the attack.

“The death toll is still being established, so I don’t want to go into details. Needless to say, this is the biggest attack on civilians in years.” – said the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah.

The little-known Kashmiri Resistance group claimed responsibility for the attack. In a statement on social media, the militants said they oppose “demographic changes” in the region, which they associate with the settlement of the territory by 85,000 “foreigners”.

It will be recalled that the violence in Kashmir has continued since 1989, when the anti-Indian insurgency began, which is mostly supported by radical Islamist groups. The rebels advocate either the independence of Kashmir or its accession to Pakistan.

India and Pakistan, who both claim the entire region, have already fought three wars over Kashmir, and it remains a key source of tension between the two nuclear powers. Each of the countries controls a part of the region, but considers it entirely its territory. Over the years of the conflict, tens of thousands of people — both military personnel and civilians — died.

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In 2019, the Indian government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi revoked Kashmir’s special status, eliminating its broad autonomy. The region was divided into two federal territories — Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

 

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