India blames Pakistan for a deadly attack

India has blamed Pakistan for a militant attack that killed 26 people in Indian-held Kashmir, downgrading diplomatic ties, closing the main border crossing and suspending a crucial water-sharing treaty.

The spray of gunfire at tourists on Tuesday in a scenic, mountain-ringed valley was the worst assault in years targeting civilians in the restive region that is claimed by both countries. The unidentified gunmen also wounded 17 other people.

India’s Foreign Secretary, Vikram Misri, announced the diplomatic moves against Pakistan at a news conference in New Delhi today, saying a special cabinet meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided that the attack had “cross-border” links to Pakistan. However, the government provided no evidence of this publicly.

Pakistan said it would respond more fully to India’s actions today, but in the meantime Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Mohammad said that India was using “an unfortunate incident of terrorism” as a pretext to jettison a treaty it has long been trying to evade.

India describes militancy in Kashmir as Pakistan-backed terrorism.

Pakistan denies this, and many Muslim Kashmiris consider the militants to be part of a home-grown freedom struggle.

Misri said that the Indus Water Treaty would be suspended “until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism.”

He said a number of Pakistani diplomats in New Delhi were asked to leave, and Indian diplomats were recalled from Pakistan, reducing diplomatic officials for both countries from 55 to 30.

Misri also said the main land border crossing between the nuclear-armed countries would be closed.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said his country would respond to the Indian government’s decisions after a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif today.

The Indus Water Treaty, brokered by the World Bank in 1960, allows for sharing the waters of a river system that is a lifeline for both countries, particularly for Pakistan’s agriculture.

The treaty has survived two wars between the countries, in 1965 and 1971, and a major border skirmish in 1999.

Indian forces yesterday launched a manhunt for the assailants.

Tens of thousands of police and soldiers fanned out across the region and erected additional checkpoints.

They searched cars, used helicopters to search forested mountains and in some areas summoned former militants to police stations for questioning, reports said.

Many shops and businesses in Kashmir closed to protest the killings.

Officials said 24 of the people killed were Indian tourists.

One was from Nepal, and another was a local tourist guide. At least 17 others were wounded.

Pakistan extended condolences to the victims’ families.

“We are concerned at the loss of tourists’ lives,” Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement while wishing the wounded a speedy recovery.

Kashmir has seen a spate of deadly attacks on Hindus, including immigrant workers from Indian states, since New Delhi ended the region’s semi-autonomy in 2019 and drastically curbed dissent, civil liberties and media freedoms.