Peace for prayers

KASHMIRI Muslims pray on a road on the first day of the holy month of Ramadan in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir.

India announced on Wednesday that its troops will halt counterinsurgency operations in disputed Kashmir during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, its first such declaration in 18 years.

The move, which comes after months of intense fighting in the Himalayan region, will “help peace-loving Muslims observe Ramzan [Ramadan] in a peaceful environment”, India’s home ministry said in a series of tweets.

However, Indian forces, of which there are an estimated 500,000 in the disputed region, “reserve the right to retaliate if attacked”, the ministry added.