India sent military helicopters and special forces scoured densely forested mountains in Indian-administered Kashmir on Wednesday for gunmen who killed at least 26 people at a tourist spot.
The attack took place at Baisaran in Pahalgam, a Himalayan summer resort, on Tuesday afternoon, when the attackers emerged from the forest and raked the crowds of visitors with automatic gunfire.
There were about 200 tourists and locals, including women and children, at the spot, which is surrounded by pine trees and a glacial lake and is accessible only on foot or by pony.
Those killed were all men, and included a citizen of Nepal, a former Indian government official, a former naval officer, and an air force employee. Another 17 people were injured.
The attack was the deadliest in more than two decades in India’s restive Kashmir region, where militants have waged an insurgency seeking independence or accession to Pakistan.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi cut short his trip to Saudi Arabia and returned to New Delhi on Wednesday, where he held a meeting with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
Home Minister Amit Shah, who supervises India’s internal security, visited Baisaran and laid wreaths on the bodies of the victims. He also met with the families of the dead and survivors and assured them that the “culprits of the dastardly attacks will not be spared”.
A group calling itself the Resistance Front claimed the attack, saying it was targeted at people from outside the region who "arrive posing as tourists, obtain domiciles, and then begin to act as if they own the land", local media reported.
Indian authorities released sketches of the attackers and gave the names of three as Asif Fuji, Suleman Shah and Abu Talha.
Indian authorities have hinted at Pakistan’s role in the attack, which coincided with a fierce gun battle along the Line of Control – the de facto border dividing the Kashmir region between India and Pakistan.
The Indian army said it shot two alleged infiltrators trying to enter the Kashmir valley in Uri region, north of the capital Srinagar.
Tuesday’s attack was the largest since March 2000, when militants shot dead 35 people from the Sikh community in the Chittisinghpura area of the valley. The attack coincided with the visit of then-US president Bill Clinton to New Delhi.
Tuesday's attack came during a visit by US Vice President JD Vance, whose wife is of Indian origin.
"Usha and I extend our condolences to the victims of the devastating terrorist attack in Pahalgam, India. Over the past few days, we have been overcome with the beauty of this country and its people. Our thoughts and prayers are with them as they mourn this horrific attack," Mr Vance wrote on X.
Control of the Kashmir region is divided between India and Pakistan but both claim it in its entirety since British occupiers left the subcontinent in 1947.
Kashmir valley has been in the grip of a decades-long armed rebellion against New Delhi’s rule that has left tens of thousands of people dead. The region has an estimated 500,000 soldiers permanently stationed in the territory, with overall armed militancy witnessing a sharp decline in recent years.
Mr Modi’s government revoked the region's semi-autonomous status in 2019, months after 40 paramilitary troops were killed in Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
The government claimed that “peace and normality” had returned to the valley and promoted tourism to the region, known for its glacial lakes, snow-capped mountains, alpine meadows and pine forests. Tourism had dipped at the peak of insurgency in the 1990s, but has surged in recent years.
“This is a crime against humanity, it is not about tourism or the economy. Our head hangs in shame,” Asif Burza, owner of the Ahad Hotel in Pahalgam, told The National.
“We are trying to make the tourists comfortable and trying to comfort them,” he said.
Pahalgam, located east of Srinagar, is a heavily fortified region used as a base camp for the Amarnath pilgrimage to a cave shrine dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, which draws nearly half a million people every summer. This year’s pilgrimage is expected to begin in July.
Tuesday’s attack has shaken the nation and sparked fears among residents of Kashmir that it will disrupt tourism, a major contributor to the local economy.
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
All you need to know about Formula E in Saudi Arabia
What The Saudia Ad Diriyah E-Prix
When Saturday
Where Diriyah in Saudi Arabia
What time Qualifying takes place from 11.50am UAE time through until the Super Pole session, which is due to end at 12.55pm. The race, which will last for 45 minutes, starts at 4.05pm.
Who is competing There are 22 drivers, from 11 teams, on the grid, with each vehicle run solely on electronic power.
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Swiss fly direct from the UAE to Zurich from Dh2,855 return, including taxes.
The chalet
Chalet N is currently open in winter only, between now and April 21. During the ski season, starting on December 11, a week’s rental costs from €210,000 (Dh898,431) per week for the whole property, which has 22 beds in total, across six suites, three double rooms and a children’s suite. The price includes all scheduled meals, a week’s ski pass, Wi-Fi, parking, transfers between Munich, Innsbruck or Zurich airports and one 50-minute massage per person. Private ski lessons cost from €360 (Dh1,541) per day. Halal food is available on request.
The biog
Favourite film: Motorcycle Dairies, Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday, Kagemusha
Favourite book: One Hundred Years of Solitude
Holiday destination: Sri Lanka
First car: VW Golf
Proudest achievement: Building Robotics Labs at Khalifa University and King’s College London, Daughters
Driverless cars or drones: Driverless Cars
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
Padmaavat
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh
3.5/5
Liverpool’s fixtures until end of 2019
Saturday, November 30, Brighton (h)
Wednesday, December 4, Everton (h)
Saturday, December 7, Bournemouth (a)
Tuesday, December 10, Salzburg (a) CL
Saturday, December 14, Watford (h)
Tuesday, December 17, Aston Villa (a) League Cup
Wednesday, December 18, Club World Cup in Qatar
Saturday, December 21, Club World Cup in Qatar
Thursday, December 26, Leicester (a)
Sunday, December 29, Wolves (h)
UAE Premiership
Results
Dubai Exiles 24-28 Jebel Ali Dragons
Abu Dhabi Harlequins 43-27 Dubai Hurricanes
Final
Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Jebel Ali Dragons, Friday, March 29, 5pm at The Sevens, Dubai
The specs: Macan Turbo
Engine: Dual synchronous electric motors
Power: 639hp
Torque: 1,130Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Touring range: 591km
Price: From Dh412,500
On sale: Deliveries start in October
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (c), Chamani Senevirathne (vc), Subha Srinivasan, NIsha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Esha Oza, Ishani Senevirathne, Heena Hotchandani, Keveesha Kumari, Judith Cleetus, Chavi Bhatt, Namita D’Souza.
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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TICKETS
Tickets start at Dh100 for adults, while children can enter free on the opening day. For more information, visit www.mubadalawtc.com.
if you go
The flights
Air France offer flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi to Cayenne, connecting in Paris from Dh7,300.
The tour
Cox & Kings (coxandkings.com) has a 14-night Hidden Guianas tour of Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. It includes accommodation, domestic flights, transfers, a local tour manager and guided sightseeing. Contact for price.
Polarised public
31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all
Source: YouGov
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
Afghanistan squad
Gulbadin Naib (captain), Mohammad Shahzad (wicketkeeper), Noor Ali Zadran, Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmat Shah, Asghar Afghan, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Najibullah Zadran, Samiullah Shinwari, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Dawlat Zadran, Aftab Alam, Hamid Hassan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman.
Scorecard:
England 458 & 119/1 (51.0 ov)
South Africa 361
England lead by 216 runs with 9 wickets remaining
RESULTS
6.30pm: Emirates Holidays Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner: Lady Snazz, Richard Mullen (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
7.05pm: Arabian Adventures Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Zhou Storm, Connor Beasley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
7.40pm: Emirates Skywards Handicap (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Rich And Famous, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
8.15pm: Emirates Airline Conditions (TB) Dh 120,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Rio Angie, Sam Hitchcock, Doug Watson.
8.50pm: Emirates Sky Cargo (TB) Dh 92,500 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Kinver Edge, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
9.15pm: Emirates.com (TB) Dh 95,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Firnas, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh100,000 (estimate)
Engine 2.4L four-cylinder
Gearbox Nine-speed automatic
Power 184bhp at 6,400rpm
Torque 237Nm at 3,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.4L/100km
Brief scoreline:
Tottenham 1
Son 78'
Manchester City 0
'Outclassed in Kuwait'
Taleb Alrefai,
HBKU Press
AUSTRALIA SQUAD
Steve Smith (capt), David Warner, Cameron Bancroft, Jackson Bird, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine, Chadd Sayers, Mitchell Starc.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
