India’s Home Minister Amit Shah has claimed that the country’s security forces have killed three militants involved in the attack on a group of Hindu tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir, which left 26 people dead. The victims were shot and killed in cold blood in front of their families in April.
Shah told parliament that the attackers were Pakistani nationals, but Islamabad has denied this claim. The Indian government has accused Pakistan of supporting militant groups involved in the attack, a charge Pakistan has repeatedly denied.
The attack on the tourists was one of the deadliest in recent years and sparked a brief military conflict with Pakistan. In May, India launched a series of strikes on sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, leading to an intense military action from both sides.
India’s opposition leaders have accused the government of “severe security lapses” and questioned why it took this long to catch the attackers. Shah responded by saying that security forces had “neutralised the three terrorists” involved in the attack in a mission called “Operation Mahadev”.
The Indian army has confirmed that the three militants died in a gun battle with security forces in a wildlife reserve in the mountains of Dachigam, about 30km from Srinagar. However, the identity of those killed remains unclear.
Pakistan has not commented on India’s claims, which have not been independently confirmed and come amid mounting criticism of India’s government for alleged security lapses in Kashmir.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crr25g8gerdo