India sent military helicopters and special forces scoured densely forested mountains in Indian-administered Kashmir on Wednesday for gunmen who killed at least 26 people at a tourist spot.
The attack took place at Baisaran in Pahalgam, a Himalayan summer resort, on Tuesday afternoon, when the attackers emerged from the forest and raked the crowds of visitors with automatic gunfire.
There were about 200 tourists and locals, including women and children, at the spot, which is surrounded by pine trees and a glacial lake and is accessible only on foot or by pony.
Those killed were all men, and included a citizen of Nepal, a former Indian government official, a former naval officer, and an air force employee. Another 17 people were injured.
The attack was the deadliest in more than two decades in India’s restive Kashmir region, where militants have waged an insurgency seeking independence or accession to Pakistan.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi cut short his trip to Saudi Arabia and returned to New Delhi on Wednesday, where he held a meeting with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
Home Minister Amit Shah, who supervises India’s internal security, visited Baisaran and laid wreaths on the bodies of the victims. He also met with the families of the dead and survivors and assured them that the “culprits of the dastardly attacks will not be spared”.
A group calling itself the Resistance Front claimed the attack, saying it was targeted at people from outside the region who "arrive posing as tourists, obtain domiciles, and then begin to act as if they own the land", local media reported.
Indian authorities released sketches of the attackers and gave the names of three as Asif Fuji, Suleman Shah and Abu Talha.
Indian authorities have hinted at Pakistan’s role in the attack, which coincided with a fierce gun battle along the Line of Control – the de facto border dividing the Kashmir region between India and Pakistan.
The Indian army said it shot two alleged infiltrators trying to enter the Kashmir valley in Uri region, north of the capital Srinagar.
Tuesday’s attack was the largest since March 2000, when militants shot dead 35 people from the Sikh community in the Chittisinghpura area of the valley. The attack coincided with the visit of then-US president Bill Clinton to New Delhi.
Tuesday's attack came during a visit by US Vice President JD Vance, whose wife is of Indian origin.
"Usha and I extend our condolences to the victims of the devastating terrorist attack in Pahalgam, India. Over the past few days, we have been overcome with the beauty of this country and its people. Our thoughts and prayers are with them as they mourn this horrific attack," Mr Vance wrote on X.
Control of the Kashmir region is divided between India and Pakistan but both claim it in its entirety since British occupiers left the subcontinent in 1947.
Kashmir valley has been in the grip of a decades-long armed rebellion against New Delhi’s rule that has left tens of thousands of people dead. The region has an estimated 500,000 soldiers permanently stationed in the territory, with overall armed militancy witnessing a sharp decline in recent years.
Mr Modi’s government revoked the region's semi-autonomous status in 2019, months after 40 paramilitary troops were killed in Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
The government claimed that “peace and normality” had returned to the valley and promoted tourism to the region, known for its glacial lakes, snow-capped mountains, alpine meadows and pine forests. Tourism had dipped at the peak of insurgency in the 1990s, but has surged in recent years.
“This is a crime against humanity, it is not about tourism or the economy. Our head hangs in shame,” Asif Burza, owner of the Ahad Hotel in Pahalgam, told The National.
“We are trying to make the tourists comfortable and trying to comfort them,” he said.
Pahalgam, located east of Srinagar, is a heavily fortified region used as a base camp for the Amarnath pilgrimage to a cave shrine dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, which draws nearly half a million people every summer. This year’s pilgrimage is expected to begin in July.
Tuesday’s attack has shaken the nation and sparked fears among residents of Kashmir that it will disrupt tourism, a major contributor to the local economy.
Navdeep Suri, India's Ambassador to the UAE
There has been a longstanding need from the Indian community to have a religious premises where they can practise their beliefs. Currently there is a very, very small temple in Bur Dubai and the community has outgrown this. So this will be a major temple and open to all denominations and a place should reflect India’s diversity.
It fits so well into the UAE’s own commitment to tolerance and pluralism and coming in the year of tolerance gives it that extra dimension.
What we will see on April 20 is the foundation ceremony and we expect a pretty broad cross section of the Indian community to be present, both from the UAE and abroad. The Hindu group that is building the temple will have their holiest leader attending – and we expect very senior representation from the leadership of the UAE.
When the designs were taken to the leadership, there were two clear options. There was a New Jersey model with a rectangular structure with the temple recessed inside so it was not too visible from the outside and another was the Neasden temple in London with the spires in its classical shape. And they said: look we said we wanted a temple so it should look like a temple. So this should be a classical style temple in all its glory.
It is beautifully located - 30 minutes outside of Abu Dhabi and barely 45 minutes to Dubai so it serves the needs of both communities.
This is going to be the big temple where I expect people to come from across the country at major festivals and occasions.
It is hugely important – it will take a couple of years to complete given the scale. It is going to be remarkable and will contribute something not just to the landscape in terms of visual architecture but also to the ethos. Here will be a real representation of UAE’s pluralism.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dual%20synchronous%20electric%20motors%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E660hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E1%2C100Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20automatic%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETouring%20range%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E488km-560km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh850%2C000%20(estimate)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EOctober%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Karnataka Tuskers 110-5 (10 ovs)
Tharanga 48, Shafiq 34, Rampaul 2-16
Delhi Bulls 91-8 (10 ovs)
Mathews 31, Rimmington 3-28
Karnataka Tuskers win by 19 runs
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
THE 12 BREAKAWAY CLUBS
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
