India-Pakistan Tensions Escalate Over Kashmir Terror Attack

Pakistan's information minister, Attaullah Tarar, claims the country has "credible intelligence" that India is planning a military strike within the next 24 to 36 hours, citing a recent militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 tourists. India had accused Pakistan of supporting the militants behind the attack, which Pakistan denies. The region has been a flashpoint between the two nuclear-armed countries since 1947, with both claiming it in full but administering only in part.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the country's armed forces near complete freedom to respond to a deadly terrorist attack in the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region that killed 26 people. The attack, claimed by the Resistance Front (TRF), an extremist group linked to the Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist organization based in Pakistan, has heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, with both countries exchanging fire along the Line of Control. Modi has vowed to "identify, track and punish every terrorist, their handlers and their backers" and is set to convene a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security to coordinate India's next moves. Pakistan has denied involvement in the attack and fears an imminent Indian incursion, with its information minister claiming to have "credible intelligence" that India plans to take military action within 24-36 hours. India's Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said retaliation is "something which is imminent now." Experts warn that a surgical strike or airstrike is likely, but accidental escalation and a broader tit-for-tat military escalation cannot be ruled out.

India's Muslims are facing a growing backlash after a terrorist attack in Kashmir last week that killed 26 people, mostly Hindu tourists. The attack has been blamed on Pakistan, which India has accused of supporting the militants. In response, India's government has threatened to strike Pakistan militarily and has carried out punitive measures against Pakistan. However, the backlash has also been directed at India's Muslim population, with right-wing Hindu groups and government officials targeting Muslims, labeling them as "illegal Bangladeshis" or "Rohingya". Widespread detentions and demolitions of property have been reported, with hundreds arrested in Kashmir and thousands detained in the state of Gujarat. The actions have been criticized by human rights groups, who say they are unlawful and unconstitutional, and are part of a broader campaign of oppression against India's Muslim minority.