India Shuts Down Several Kashmir Tourist Spots

SRINAGAR – In the wake of a deadly militant attack and escalating cross-border tensions, authorities in India’s Jammu and Kashmir region have shut down more than half of the area’s tourist destinations, effective April 29.

Officials confirmed that 48 out of 87 designated tourist spots across the Kashmir Valley have been closed indefinitely, with no date given for their reopening. Security has also been greatly increased at the remaining open sites, as the region braces for further unrest.

The clampdown follows the brutal massacre by terrorists on April 23 in the Pahalgam area.

Once a magnet for visitors drawn to its snow-capped mountains, alpine meadows, and Mughal-era gardens, Kashmir had been enjoying a tourism revival in recent years amid a relative drop in violence. But the latest attack has triggered widespread fear, leading many travelers to abandon their plans just as the busy summer season was beginning.

Further compounding the tension, the Indian army reported “unprovoked” small arms fire from multiple Pakistani military posts around midnight on April 29,the fifth consecutive day of such incidents. No casualties have been reported so far, and Pakistan’s military has not issued a statement.