Deadliest Kashmir Attack: Tragedy Amid Tourist Boom

A deadly militant attack killed 26 and injured 17 in India's Kashmir, shattering a tourist boom amid waning insurgency. The attack reverberates politically, challenging India's claims of restoring peace in the region after revoking its special status. A militant group claims responsibility, alleging the tourists were undercover agents.

A devastating attack orchestrated by suspected militants in India's Jammu and Kashmir territory resulted in the deaths of 26 individuals, including 25 Indians and one Nepalese. The assault, which targeted tourists in the picturesque Baisaran valley, is the deadliest in nearly two decades, comparable to the 2008 Mumbai shootings.

The repercussions of this tragedy extend to the political realm, where it challenges Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assertion of peace following the revocation of Kashmir's semi-autonomous status. Modi abruptly ended his trip to Saudi Arabia, returning to address the crisis with top officials, while a special security cabinet meeting was convened.

Claimed by the Kashmir Resistance group, the attack allegedly targeted individuals linked to Indian security agencies rather than ordinary tourists. This renewed violence has led to a shutdown and protests in Kashmir, stirring fears of destabilization in a region where tourism was thriving amid lessened insurgency.

(With inputs from agencies.)