Thousands of Indians begin to flee Kashmir after security advisory of possible attacks

SRINAGAR: Thousands of Indians have started leaving the disputed region of Kashmir after the local government issued a security alert related to possible militant attacks in the area, a senior government official said yesterday.

Indian security officials on Friday said they had found evidence of attacks planned by Pakistani military-backed militants on a major Hindu pilgrimage in Kashmir.

The security officials said a mine with Pakistan ordinance markings was among caches of ammunition retrieved following intelligence reports of likely attacks on routes used by devout Hindus who trek to the region’s holy Amarnath cave every year.

A local government order effectively called off the pilgrimage, asking the pilgrims and tourists to return home.

A senior local government official in Kashmir yesterday said the advisory had caused panic and led to the departure of “thousands” of tourists, pilgrims and labourers.

The official did not give a specific number, but he said most of the 20,000 Hindu pilgrims and Indian tourists and the more than 200,000 labourers were leaving the region.

Around 60 international tourists arrived in Kashmir on Saturday, however, the official said. The Indian advisory had cautioned tourists in general, but did not give any specific advice to foreign nationals.

Tensions have run high in the mountainous region since a vehicle laden with explosives rammed into an Indian police convoy on Feb 14, killing 40 paramilitary policemen, and leading to aerial clashes between the two nations.

India accuses Pakistan of funding armed militants, as well as separatist groups in India’s portion of the region that are considered non-violent by international observers.

Islamabad denies the Indian accusation, saying it provides only diplomatic and moral support to the separatist movement.

The advisory has left the fleeing tourists and pilgrims disappointed. Kashmir touts itself as a ‘Paradise on Earth’, with Dal Lake – a favourite destination centuries ago for Mughal emperors escaping the summer heat of India’s plains – and its famous houseboats, mountains and glaciers a major attraction. — Reuters

— AFP photo An Indian security forces personnel stands guard as a Jammu Kashmir policeman checks the luggage and vehicles of commuters on the Jammu-Srinagar National highway at Nagrota some 25km from Jammu.