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Nuclear-armed arch-rivals India and Pakistan have long accused each other of backing forces to destabilise them, especially in the contested Himalayan region of Kashmir that each controls parts of.New Delhi regularly blames Islamabad for backing gunmen in Kashmir, who have fought an insurgency against Indian forces since 1989.Islamabad denies it backs the insurgents, saying it only supports Muslim-majority Kashmir’s struggle for self-determination.The killing of 26 people in Indian-run Kashmir on Tuesday signalled a dramatic escalation in violence — targeting civilians and the area’s vital tourism industry — and a shift from the common small-scale clashes between militants and security forces.India on Wednesday took a raft of diplomatic measures against Islamabad, including shutting its key land border crossing and suspending a water-sharing treaty.Pakistan then announced a meeting of its National Security Committee, summoned only in cases of external threat or major attack.Here are key events in their troubled relationship.- 1947: Partition and war -Two centuries of British rule end on August 15, 1947, with the sub-continent divided into mainly Hindu India and Muslim-majority Pakistan.The poorly prepared partition unleashes bloodshed that kills possibly more than a million people and displaces 15 million others.Kashmir’s monarch dithers on whether to submit to Indian or Pakistani rule.But, after the suppression of uprising against his rule, Pakistan-backed militants attack. He seeks India’s help — precipitating an all-out war between both countries. A UN-backed, 770-kilometre (478-mile) ceasefire line in January 1949 divides Kashmir, known as the Line of Control.- 1965-71: Kashmir and Bangladesh wars -Pakistan launches a second war in August 1965 when it invades Kashmir.The conflict ends seven weeks later after a ceasefire brokered by the Soviet Union with thousands of soldiers dead on each side.Pakistan deploys troops at the start of 1971 to suppress a growing independence movement in what is now Bangladesh, which it had governed since 1947.An estimated three million people are killed in the nine-month conflict and millions more flee into India.India invades Bangladesh, forcing Pakistan’s surrender in 1971.- 1989-90: Rebellion in Kashmir -An uprising breaks out in Kashmir in 1989 as longstanding grievances at Indian rule boil over.Hindus and other minorities flee the region over the following year after targeted assassinations, assaults, and threats by rebel fighters.Tens of thousands of soldiers, rebels and civilians are killed in the following decades in clashes between security forces and militants.India accuses Pakistan of funding the rebels and aiding their weapons training.- 1998-99: Nuclear weapons and Kargil conflict -Pakistan conducts its first public nuclear weapons tests in 1998, following India, which first conducted tests in 1974.Pakistan-backed militants cross into Indian-administered Kashmir in 1999, seizing military posts in the icy heights of the Kargil mountains. Raja Mohammad Zafarul Haq, a leading member of Pakistan’s ruling party, says his country will not refrain from using nuclear weapons to protect its security if necessary. Pakistan yields after severe pressure from Washington, alarmed by intelligence reports showing Islamabad had deployed part of its nuclear arsenal nearer to the conflict. Pakistan’s then prime minister Nawaz Sharif blames army chief Pervez Musharraf for igniting the conflict, which killed at least 1,000 people over 10 weeks, without his knowledge or approval. Musharraf overthrows Sharif in a coup months later.- 2008-Present: Mumbai attacks and Modi -Islamist gunmen attack the Indian financial hub of Mumbai in 2008, killing 166 people. India blames Pakistan’s intelligence service for the assault and suspends peace talks. Contacts resume in 2011, but the situation is marred by sporadic fighting.Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi makes a surprise visit to Pakistan in 2015 but the diplomatic thaw is short-lived.A 2019 suicide attack kills 41 Indian paramilitary troops in Kashmir and prompts Modi to order airstrikes inside Pakistan.The resulting stand-off between the two nations is swiftly defused and Modi is re-elected months later, partly on a wave of nationalist fervour spurred by the military response.Later, Modi’s government cancels Kashmir’s partial autonomy, a sudden decision accompanied by mass arrests and a months-long communications blackout.In 2021, both nations reaffirm a 2003 ceasefire, but Pakistan insists that peace talks can resume only if India reinstates Kashmir’s pre-2019 autonomous status.

Star batsman Rohit Sharma smashed 76 and pace bowler Trent Boult claimed 4-26 as Mumbai Indians thrashed Sunrisers Hyderabad to move up to third in the IPL table on Wednesday.New Zealand’s Boult, a left-arm quick, and fellow pace bowler Deepak Chahar ripped apart the top of Hyderabad’s batting order as they collapsed to 35-5 before managing 143-8.Five-time champions Mumbai achieved their target with 26 balls and seven wickets to spare after Rohit registered his second successive half-century, smacking eight fours and three sixes in his 46-ball knock to lead the chase.But the 35-year-old Boult set up victory with his two early wickets and was named player of the match.”I still love the feeling of competing and getting wickets,” said Boult, who retired from international cricket in 2024.”It’s a huge tournament, there are hundreds of thousands of bowlers who’d love to do what we’re doing so it’s about not taking it for granted.”It was Mumbai’s fourth straight win and a victory that propelled them three spots from sixth in the 10-team table led by Gujarat Titans.Hyderabad, who are captained by Australia’s Pat Cummins, slumped to their sixth loss in eight matches.”We have a few away games now, it will be about assessing each wicket as quickly as possible,” said Cummins. “Some days it will be all-out attack, some days it will be about weighing our options.”Rohit and England’s Will Jacks (22) laid the platform for Mumbai in their second-wicket partnership of 64.Jacks got out but Rohit stood firm to raise his fifty in an another key stand of 53 with Suryakumar Yadav, who made an unbeaten 40 off 19 balls.- Sombre start -The match began with a tribute to the victims of the deadly attack in Kashmir as a minute’s silence was observed and teams wore black armbands in Hyderabad.Twenty-six men — all Indian except one Nepali — were killed on Tuesday when gunmen burst out of forests at a popular tourist spot in Pahalgam and raked crowds of visitors with automatic weapons.The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) took the decision to remove the cheerleaders and put a halt to the celebratory fireworks and music customary at IPL matches, as a mark of respect for the victims.Boult got Mumbai off to a perfect start by dismissing Australian opener Travis Head for a duck after the left-hander mis-timed a shot to deep backward point.Chahar had Ishan Kishan caught behind for one in the next over, the batter walking off to a timid appeal with ultra-edge technology later suggesting there was no edge.Boult and Chahar continued to do damage and accounted for Abhishek Sharma and Nitish Reddy, leaving Hyderabad five down when skipper Hardik Pandya struck in the ninth over.South Africa’s Heinrich Klaasen hit a 44-ball 71 as he counter-attacked with a string of boundaries and put on 99 runs with impact substitute Abhinav Manohar (43), but the effort was not enough against a rampaging Mumbai.Klaasen finally became pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah’s 300th T20 wicket when he was caught at deep backward square.Boult finished with two wickets in the 20th over.

Blessing Muzarabani’s nine-wicket match figures and determined batting helped Zimbabwe stun Bangladesh by three wickets in the first match of the two-Test series in Sylhet on Wednesday.Mehidy Hasan Miraz recorded his second five-wicket haul for the match but it was in vain as Zimbabwe’s batsmen held their nerve to close out the match despite losing quick wickets.Zimbabwe chased down their target of 174 by the third session of the fourth day with three wickets in hand, their first win against Bangladesh since 2018, and their first against any team in four years, to secure a 1-0 lead.Brian Bennett racked up his second fifty of the match to lead the chase on a surface that Bangladesh’s bowlers failed to exploit early.Bennett and his opening partner Ben Curran laid a solid foundation with a partnership of 95 runs before Curran fell to Mehidy while attempting to play him over long on.Curran failed to gauge the spin and ended up sending a catch to the mid-off. Mehidy quickly bagged four more wickets, sending tremors through the Zimbabwe camp, while Taijul Islam chipped in with another two.But Wessly Madhevere (19 not out), Wellington Masakadza (12), and Richard Ngarava (4 not out) held their nerve to guide Zimbabwe home.Bangladesh posted 255 in the second innings, with captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and wicket-keeper-batter Jaker Ali contributing with a fifty each.But the failures of batsmen such as Mushfiqur Rahim and Mehidy prevented them from setting up a more challenging target. The Sylhet pitch is known to assist the fast bowlers but, unlike Muzarabani, Bangladesh’s pacemen failed to capitalise on the home conditions.The onus fell on the spin duo of Mehidy and Taijul but their efforts weren’t enough to make the required impact.Zimbabwe earlier responded with 273 to Bangladesh’s first innings of 191, with Nahid Rana taking three wickets alongside Mehidy’s five.An 82-run first-innings lead put Zimbabwe in a commanding position and they went on to record a big win. It was Zimbabwe’s eighth win over Bangladesh in 19 Tests, equalling Bangladesh’s number of victories against them.The second and final Test is in Chattogram from April 28.Brief scores:Bangladesh 191 and 255 (Najmul Hossain Shanto 60, Jaker Ali 58; Blessing Muzarabani 6-72) Zimbabwe 273 and 174-7 (Brian Bennett 57; Mehidy Hasan Miraz 5-50)Zimbabwe won by three wicketsToss: Bangladesh

India’s defence minister vowed on Wednesday a swift response to those who carried out and planned the Kashmir region’s worst attack on civilians in years.”Those responsible and behind such an act will very soon hear our response, loud and clear,” Rajnath Singh said in a speech in New Delhi, a day after gunmen killed 26 men at a tourist hotspot in the contested Himalayan region.”We won’t just reach those people who carried out the attack. We will also reach out to those who planned this from behind the scenes on our land.”Singh did not identify those he believes are responsible for the killings, but said that “India’s government will take every step that may be necessary and appropriate”.No group has claimed responsibility for the attack in the Muslim-majority region where rebels have waged an insurgency since 1989.They are seeking independence or a merger with Pakistan, which controls a smaller part of the Kashmir region and, like India, claims it in full.- ‘Serious risk’ -Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged that those responsible for the “heinous act” will “be brought to justice”.Modi is set to hold an emergency cabinet meeting with top security chiefs later on Wednesday.”Their evil agenda will never succeed,” Modi said in a statement shortly after the attack. “Our resolve to fight terrorism is unshakable and it will get even stronger.”Nuclear-armed arch-rivals India and Pakistan have long accused each other of backing forces to destabilise the other, and New Delhi says Islamabad backs the gunmen behind the insurgency. Islamabad denies the allegation, saying it only supports Kashmir’s struggle for self-determination.Pakistan’s foreign ministry on Wednesday offered its “condolences to the near ones of the deceased”.Analyst Michael Kugelman said the attack posed a “very serious risk of a new crisis between India and Pakistan, and probably the most serious risk of a crisis since the brief military conflict that happened in 2019”.- Blood stains -Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the attack had been “much larger than anything we’ve seen directed at civilians” in recent years.A hospital list verified by police recorded 26 men who were killed on Tuesday afternoon when gunmen burst out of forests at a popular tourist spot in Pahalgam and raked crowds of visitors with automatic weapons.All those killed were listed as residents of India except one man from Nepal.In a separate incident in Kashmir at Baramulla on Wednesday, the army killed two people after a “heavy exchange of fire”, saying the gunmen were part of an “infiltration bid” crossing the contested frontier from Pakistan.AFP journalists near the site of the Pahalgam attack reported a heavy deployment of security forces. Pahalgam is popular with tourists in summer and is about 90 kilometres (55 miles) by road from the city of Srinagar.Smears of blood could still be seen on the grass where the killings took place as forensic investigators searched for evidence.A tour guide told AFP he had carried some of the wounded away on horseback.Waheed, who gave only one name, said he saw several men lying dead on the ground, while a witness who requested anonymity said the attackers were “clearly sparing women”.The killings came a day after Modi met US Vice President JD Vance in New Delhi.The deadliest previous attack on civilians was in March 2000 when 36 Indians were killed on the eve of a visit by then-US president Bill Clinton.- ‘Heinous’ -US President Donald Trump called Modi to offer “full support to India to bring to justice the perpetrators of this heinous attack”.China, which neighbours the troubled region, offered its “sincere sympathies” to the families of those killed.India has an estimated 500,000 soldiers permanently deployed in the territory but fighting has eased since Modi’s government revoked Kashmir’s limited autonomy in 2019.Authorities in recent years have promoted the mountainous region as a holiday destination, both for skiing in winter and to escape the sweltering summer heat elsewhere in India.Around 3.5 million tourists visited Kashmir in 2024, mostly domestic visitors.The worst attack in recent years was in Pulwama in February 2019 when insurgents rammed a car packed with explosives into a police convoy, killing 40 and wounding at least 35 others.

Indian security forces in Kashmir were conducting a major manhunt on Wednesday, a day after gunmen opened fire on tourists and killed 26 people in the region’s worst attack on civilians in a quarter of a century.Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who cut short a state visit to Saudi Arabia, decried the “heinous act” and pledged that the attackers “will be brought to justice”.Modi is set to hold an emergency cabinet meeting with top security chiefs later on Wednesday.”Their evil agenda will never succeed,” Modi said in a statement shortly after the attack. “Our resolve to fight terrorism is unshakable and it will get even stronger.”A hospital list verified by police recorded 26 men who were killed on Tuesday afternoon when gunmen burst out of forests at a popular tourist spot in Pahalgam and raked crowds of visitors with automatic weapons.All those killed were listed as residents of India except one man from Nepal.No group has claimed responsibility but rebels in the Muslim-majority region have waged an insurgency since 1989.They are seeking independence or a merger with Pakistan, which controls a smaller part of the Kashmir region and, like India, claims it in full.- ‘Serious risk’ -India regularly blames Pakistan for backing gunmen behind the insurgency. Islamabad denies the allegation, saying it only supports Kashmir’s struggle for self-determination.Pakistan’s foreign ministry offered its “condolences to the near ones of the deceased”.Analyst Michael Kugelman said the attack posed a “very serious risk of a new crisis between India and Pakistan, and probably the most serious risk of a crisis since the brief military conflict that happened in 2019”.Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the attack had been “much larger than anything we’ve seen directed at civilians” in recent years.The bodies of those killed were brought to Srinagar by a fleet of ambulances on Wednesday as military helicopters soared overhead, searching the forested mountain flanks for signs of the attackers.”This attack on our visitors is an abomination,” Abdullah said in a statement.”The perpetrators of this attack are animals, inhuman and worthy of contempt.”In a separate incident at Baramulla on Wednesday, the army killed two people after a “heavy exchange of fire”, saying the gunmen were part of an “infiltration bid” crossing the contested frontier from Pakistan.- Blood stains -AFP journalists near the site of the Pahalgam attack reported a heavy deployment of security forces. Pahalgam is popular with tourists in summer and is about 90 kilometres (55 miles) by road from the city of Srinagar.Smears of blood could still be seen on the grass where the killings took place as forensic investigators searched for evidence.A tour guide told AFP he had carried some of the wounded away on horseback.Waheed, who gave only one name, said he saw several men lying dead on the ground, while a witness who requested anonymity said the attackers were “clearly sparing women”.The killings came a day after Modi met US Vice President JD Vance in New Delhi.The deadliest previous attack on civilians was in March 2000, when 36 Indians were killed on the eve of a visit by US president Bill Clinton.- ‘Heinous’ -Tuesday’s killings sparked global condemnation.US President Donald Trump called Modi to offer “full support to India to bring to justice the perpetrators of this heinous attack”.China, which neighbours the troubled region, offered its “sincere sympathies” to the families of those killed.India has an estimated 500,000 soldiers permanently deployed in the territory but fighting has eased since Modi’s government revoked Kashmir’s limited autonomy in 2019.Authorities in recent years have promoted the mountainous region as a holiday destination, both for skiing in winter and to escape the sweltering summer heat elsewhere in India.Around 3.5 million tourists visited Kashmir in 2024, mostly domestic visitors. Air India said it was adding two extra flights out of Srinagar on Wednesday as terrified tourists sought to return home.The worst attack in recent years was in Pulwama in February 2019, when insurgents rammed a car packed with explosives into a police convoy, killing 40 and wounding at least 35 others.

Indian tourist brochures dub the Himalayan region of Kashmir “Little Switzerland”, and its mountain meadows are usually packed with visitors escaping the sweltering summer heat in the lowland plains of India.On Wednesday, a day after gunmen killed 26 men in an attack on the popular tourist site of Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah reported an “exodus of our guests”.For New Delhi, the 3.5 million tourists who it says visited Kashmir in 2024  — mostly domestic visitors — illustrated what officials called “normalcy and peace” returning to the troubled region after a massive crackdown.Rebels in the Muslim-majority region have waged an insurgency since 1989, seeking independence or a merger with Pakistan, but violence had dropped since New Delhi revoked Kashmir’s limited autonomy in 2019.India has an estimated 500,000 soldiers permanently deployed in the territory.A day after the attack, the region’s deadliest assault on civilians since 2000, tourists scrambled to leave, cramming into buses and taxis, while hoteliers reported a surge of cancellations.At Pahalgam, the site of the attack, the usually tranquil meadows surrounded by pine forests and snowcapped mountains, reverberated with the thumping sounds of military helicopters taking part in a vast manhunt for the attackers.Around 24 hours after the attack, smears of blood were still visible at the site of attack, now patrolled by soldiers dressed in bulletproof jackets.Soldiers guarded the entrance, as forensic investigators collected evidence.- ‘Heartbreaking’ -Until Tuesday afternoon, Hotel Mount View in Pahalgam was sold out for months, manager Abdul Salam told AFP. But since news of the killings broke, he has been inundated with people scrapping their travel plans.”This tragedy will paralyse business in Kashmir,” he said.  “We are trying hard to reassure our customers who may still want to come.”Indian authorities have heavily promoted the mountainous region known for its lush valleys as a holiday destination, both for skiing during the winter months, and to escape the sweltering heat elsewhere in India during the summer.A string of resorts are being developed, including some close to the heavily militarised de facto border that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan.India regularly blames Pakistan for backing gunmen behind the insurgency.Islamabad denies the allegation, saying it only supports Kashmir’s struggle for self-determination.”It’s heartbreaking to see the exodus of our guests from the valley after yesterday’s tragic terror attack in Pahalgam, but at the same time we totally understand why people would want to leave,” Abdullah said in a statement.India’s Director General of Civil Aviation Faiz Ahmed Kidwai issued a letter which called on airlines to “take swift action to increase the number of flights…facilitating the evacuation of tourists”.Air India said Wednesday it had laid on extra flights “in view of the prevailing situation”.Tourist Paras Sawla, from India’s financial hub Mumbai, said many visitors were “fearful” after the attack.He was seeking to get the first flight home that he could.But the saddest part, he said, was that ordinary Kashmiri people, famous for their hospitality, were doing all they could to help.”We are not scared of the public here”, Sawla said. “They are very supportive, helping out with whatever we need.” 

Indian security forces in Kashmir carried out a major manhunt Wednesday, a day after gunmen opened fire on tourists, slaughtering at least 26 people in the region’s deadliest attack on civilians since 2000.Prime Minister Narendra Modi decried the “heinous act” and pledged that the attackers “will be brought to justice”.Modi, who cut short a state visit to Saudi Arabia to return to India early Wednesday, met with top security officials immediately on his arrival, a government official said.No official toll has been released, but security sources told AFP that at least 26 people were killed on Tuesday afternoon when gunmen burst out of forests at a popular tourist spot and raked crowds of visitors with automatic gunfire.Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the attack had been “much larger than anything we’ve seen directed at civilians in recent years”.No group has claimed responsibility, but rebels in the Muslim-majority region have waged an insurgency since 1989.They are seeking independence or a merger with Pakistan, which controls a smaller part of the Kashmir region and, like India, claims it in full.- ‘Abomination’ -“This attack on our visitors is an abomination,” Abdullah said in a statement after the attack.”The perpetrators of this attack are animals, inhuman and worthy of contempt.”AFP journalists near the site of the attack in Pahalgam, a popular site for tourists in summer some 90 kilometres (55 miles) by road from the key city of Srinagar, reported heavy deployment of security forces.”The search operation is currently in progress, with all efforts focused on bringing the attackers to justice,” the Indian army’s Chinar Corps said in a statement overnight.A tour guide in Pahalgam told AFP he reached the scene after hearing gunfire and had transported some of the wounded away on horseback.Waheed, who gave only one name, said he saw several men lying dead on the ground, while a witness who requested anonymity said the attackers were “clearly sparing women”.The killings came a day after Modi met US Vice President JD Vance in New Delhi.”Their evil agenda will never succeed. Our resolve to fight terrorism is unshakable and it will get even stronger,” Modi said in a statement shortly after the attack.The deadliest recent attack on civilians was in March 2000, when 36 Indians were killed. That attack occurred on the eve of a visit by US president Bill Clinton.- ‘Heinous’ -The killings on Tuesday sparked global outrage.US President Donald Trump called Modi to quickly offer “full support to India to bring to justice the perpetrators of this heinous attack”.Among the foreign leaders condemning the attack and offering support, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen pledged that “Europe will stand with you”.India has an estimated 500,000 soldiers permanently deployed in the territory but fighting has eased since Modi’s government revoked Kashmir’s limited autonomy in 2019.In recent years, the authorities have promoted the mountainous region as a holiday destination, both for skiing in winter, and to escape the sweltering summer heat elsewhere in India.Around 3.5 million tourists visited Kashmir in 2024, mostly domestic visitors.The worst attack in recent years took place in Pulwama in February 2019, when insurgents rammed a car packed with explosives into a police convoy killing 40 and wounding at least 35 others.India regularly blames Pakistan for backing gunmen behind the insurgency.Islamabad denies the allegation, saying it only supports Kashmir’s struggle for self-determination.Survivors said the gunmen targeted men, shooting some from point-blank range.One woman survivor reported that men in uniform emerged from surrounding forests to a meadow where tourists were enjoying the peace of nature, The Indian Express newspaper reported.Survivors said they had assumed they were policemen.”They were there at least for 20 minutes, undeterred, moving around and opening fire”, the newspaper quoted the survivor as saying. “It seemed like an eternity”. The victims included an Indian Navy officer, who had recently got married, and who was on holiday with his wife. Another survivor told news outlet India Today that the attackers asked the men in her family to recite the Muslim call to prayer.”Then they resumed firing and shot my father and uncle,” the survivor said. 

Nepal’s first nationwide survey of the threatened snow leopard estimated nearly 400 of the elusive big cats in the Himalayan nation, wildlife officials said Tuesday.Habitat loss, climate change and poaching have greatly impacted snow leopard populations across Asia, listed as a “vulnerable” species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).But the survey offers a rare shot of hope, confirming numbers lie at the upper end of the previous estimates.With thick grey fur dotted with dark spots, and large paws that act as natural snow shoes, the species are difficult to spot and quick to hide, making field research challenging.”This is a historic step in Nepal’s snow leopard conservation journey,” Haribhadra Acharya, senior ecologist at the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, told AFP.”This is the first time we are getting authentic data with the great effort of researchers,” he said.An estimated total of 397 snow leopards were counted, determined through motion-sensor camera and genetic analysis in seven key areas.It offers the most comprehensive national estimate of snow leopards — also known as the “ghosts of mountains” — previously estimated by the IUCN to be in the range of 301-400.Snow leopards are the least studied of the big cats globally due to their low population density and remote mountain habitats they inhabit.”Nepal has only two percent of the size of the snow leopard habitats globally, (yet) we host 10 percent of the total estimated population”, Ghana S Gurung, country representative of WWF Nepal, told AFP.”More importantly, we are the second smallest country in terms of snow leopard habitat size after Bhutan, (but) we hold the fourth largest population,” he added.- ‘Increased human activity’ -The Snow Leopard Trust, a US-based conservation group, says the exact total number is not known but that “there may be as few as 3,920 and probably no more than 6,390″  across 12 countries in Asia.Although conservationists have welcomed the new population estimate, many remain concerned about the threats posed by climate change and infrastructure development.”New road construction, installation of transmission lines, and increased human activity in search of herbs are disrupting snow leopards’ habitats in the Himalayas,” said Acharya, one of the lead researchers.Experts say the increasing avalanches in the mountains — where climate change is exacerbating extremes of weather patterns — are another threat.Nepal has been praised worldwide for its efforts to protect wildlife which have helped several species, including tigers and rhinos, to return from the brink of local extinction. The country’s conservation efforts have helped to triple its tiger population to 355 since 2010 and to increase one-horned rhinoceros from around 100 in the 1960s to 752 in 2021.

At least 26 people were killed Tuesday in Indian-administered Kashmir when gunmen opened fire on tourists, security sources told AFP, in the insurgency-hit region’s deadliest attack on civilians since 2000.Prime Minister Narendra Modi decried the “heinous act” in the summer retreat of Pahalgam, pledging the attackers “will be brought to justice”.The killings come a day after Modi met in New Delhi with US Vice President JD Vance, who is on a four-day tour of India with his wife and children.A tour guide in Pahalgam told AFP he reached the scene after hearing gunfire and had transported some of the wounded away on horseback.Waheed, who gave only one name, said he saw several men lying dead on the ground, while a witness who requested anonymity said the attackers were “clearly sparing women”.Pahalgam lies 90 kilometres (55 miles) by road from the key city of Srinagar.One security source said that foreign tourists were among those shot, but there was no official confirmation.Other security sources and some Indian media reported late Tuesday that 26 people had died, an increase from the 24 that a senior local police officer had earlier told AFP.No group has claimed responsibility, but rebels in the Muslim-majority region have waged an insurgency since 1989.They are seeking independence or a merger with Pakistan, which controls a smaller part of the Kashmir region and, like India, claims it in full.Vance offered condolences in a social media post, while President Donald Trump called Modi to quickly offer “full support to India to bring to justice the perpetrators of this heinous attack”, an Indian foreign ministry spokesperson said.Modi also cut short a state visit to Saudi Arabia over the attack, the foreign ministry said.In New York, a spokesman for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he “strongly condemns” the attack.- Males targeted -“The militants, I can’t say how many, came out of the forest near an open small meadow and started firing,” said the witness who asked not to be identified.”They were clearly sparing women and kept shooting at men, sometimes single shot and sometimes many bullets. It was like a storm,” said the man, who cares for horses that are popular with tourists in the area.The witness said dozens of people fled as the gunmen opened fire.”They all started running around in panic”, he added.Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that “the attack is much larger than anything we’ve seen directed at civilians in recent years”, with the death toll still uncertain.”This attack on our visitors is an abomination,” he added in a statement. “The perpetrators of this attack are animals, inhuman and worthy of contempt.”Among the foreign leaders condemning the attack and offering support, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen pledged that “Europe will stand with you.”- Holiday destination – Medics at a hospital in Anantnag said they had received some of the wounded, including with gunshot wounds.India has an estimated 500,000 soldiers permanently deployed in the territory, but fighting has eased since Modi’s government revoked Kashmir’s limited autonomy in 2019.”Their evil agenda will never succeed. Our resolve to fight terrorism is unshakable and it will get even stronger,” Modi said in a statement.In recent years, the authorities have promoted the mountainous region as a holiday destination, both for winter skiing, and to escape the sweltering summer heat elsewhere in India.Around 3.5 million tourists visited Kashmir in 2024, the majority domestic visitors.In 2023, India hosted a G20 tourism meeting in Srinagar under tight security in a bid to show that what officials call “normalcy and peace” were returning after a massive crackdown.A string of resorts are being developed, including some close to the heavily militarised de facto border that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan.India regularly blames Pakistan for backing gunmen behind the insurgency.Islamabad denies the allegation, saying it only supports Kashmir’s struggle for self-determination.The worst attack in recent years took place in Pulwama in February 2019, when insurgents rammed a car packed with explosives into a police convoy killing 40 and wounding at least 35 others.The deadliest recent attack on civilians was in March 2000, when 36 Indians were killed. That attack occurred on the eve of a visit by US president Bill Clinton.pzb-bb-sai-ash-pjm/sco/des/bgs/dw

India’s KL Rahul hit an unbeaten 57 to steer Delhi Capitals to an emphatic eight-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants and get his side back to winning ways in the IPL on Tuesday.Chasing a modest 160 for victory, Delhi rode on Rahul’s 42-ball knock and a second-wicket partnership with Abishek Porel, who hit 51, to achieve their target with 13 balls to spare at Lucknow’s home ground.Delhi, with six wins in eight matches, bounced back from their previous defeat to table-toppers Gujarat Titans and are second in the 10-team table.Seam bowler Mukesh Kumar set up victory with his four wickets as he helped pull Lucknow back from 87-0 to 110-4 and then a below-par total of 159-6.”Once we picked up two quick wickets, we got the momentum and all the bowlers did well to restrict them under 160,” Delhi skipper Axar Patel said.In reply, Delhi lost Karun Nair for 15 bowled by Aiden Markram, a part-time off spinner, but Porel and Rahul combined to get the chase on track in their stand of 69.Markram struck again to get the left-handed Porel out after his 36-ball knock, which was laced with five fours and one six.Rahul stood firm and along with Axar, who made 34, put on an unbeaten stand of 56 to steer the team home with a winning six from Rahul.Rahul hit his third fifty of the season to go past 5,000 runs in the IPL — making him the quickest player to achieve the feat in the T20 tournament.- Lucknow ’20 short’ -Earlier, openers Markram (52) and Mitchell Marsh (45) combined the right dose of caution and aggression to steer Lucknow to 87 inside 10 overs.South African batter Markram raised his fifty and alongside Australia’s Marsh forced Delhi to rotate their bowling options.Sri Lanka pace bowler Dushmantha Chameera struck first to send back Markram caught out, and the wicket triggered a mini collapse.Australia’s left-arm quick Mitchell Starc got the big wicket of West indies left-hander Nicholas Pooran, bowled for nine.Mukesh then got two wickets in one over, including Marsh, and Lucknow wobbled.Lucknow subbed out Marsh and got Ayush Badoni as the impact player, and the 25-year-old repaid the decision by regularly finding the boundary.Badoni made the most of a dropped catch by Tristan Stubbs on three to smash 36 off 21 deliveries.Badoni hammered Mukesh for three successive boundaries in the 20th over but the bowler bowled him on the fourth ball.Skipper Rishabh Pant dropped himself down to number seven but faced just two balls before being bowled by Mukesh on the final delivery of the innings.”We knew we were 20 runs short,” said Pant. “In Lucknow, the toss plays a big part. Whoever is bowling first, they get a lot of help from the wicket. We just had to stay back, we just couldn’t get it away.”Wicketkeeper-batsman Pant, who went to Lucknow for a record bid of $3.21 million in the November auction, has scored 106 runs in eight innings with a highest score of 63.