India Bulldozes Suspected Attackers’ Homes in Kashmir
One of the houses destroyed by Indian authorities, April 25, 2025. X/ @Narasimman1995
April 25, 2025 Hour: 7:54 am
On Tuesday, a group of men killed 26 tourists, most of whom were Indian nationals.
On Friday, India demolished the homes of two men suspected of being involved in the recent attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir, amid a diplomatic escalation with Pakistan and growing concerns in this volatile region with a long history of conflict.
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The demolitions took place just hours before a scheduled visit to the area by the head of the Indian Army in the region, General Upendra Dwivedi, according to a local police officer who spoke on condition of anonymity, stating that the actions align with India’s zero-tolerance policy toward terrorism.
The homes, located in the southern districts of Pulwama and Anantnag—specifically in Tral and Bijbehara, respectively—belonged to Asif Sheikh and Adil Thoker. Both are alleged members of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), an insurgent organization banned in India.
“The two terrorists are suspected to be behind the Pahalgam attack,” a senior police official said, adding that “the demolitions were carried out as a deterrent measure.”
On April 22, in the Baisaran meadow of Pahalgam, a popular tourist destination in Indian-administered Kashmir, a group of men attacked a group of tourists, killing 26 of them, most of whom were Indian nationals. India has attributed the attack to militants it describes as Pakistan-sponsored terrorists. The incident has heightened tensions in this territory claimed by both India and Pakistan.
Eyewitnesses in Pulwama and Anantnag reported that security forces, including police and paramilitary personnel, cordoned off the areas before proceeding to demolish the homes. Images showing the destroyed houses before dawn have been widely circulated on social media.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA), India’s primary counterterrorism agency, launched an investigation into the Pahalgam attack. Local media outlets claim that investigators have questioned numerous residents and tourists who were in the vicinity at the time of the killings.
General Dwivedi’s visit to Srinagar, the main city in Kashmir, comes amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan, with both nations exchanging sharp statements in the wake of the Pahalgam massacre.
The Kashmir region, a territory claimed by both India and Pakistan but partially administered by each, remains heavily militarized. Frequent outbreaks of violence—often linked to separatist insurgencies seeking independence or greater autonomy from Indian rule—continue to disrupt life in the Himalayan territory.
teleSUR/ JF
Source: EFE
