Anxious tourists flee occupied Kashmir after India's 'terror' warning
Thousands of tourists and students scrambled to get places on planes and buses leaving Indian-occupied Kashmir on Saturday after the Indian government warned of the threat of “terror” attacks.
Thousands of military reinforcements were arriving in the Himalayan territory, where a three-decade old insurgency has left tens of thousands dead.
The Jammu and Kashmir state government said late Friday that tourists should leave “immediately” because of new intelligence about “terror threats” to a major Hindu pilgrimage in the region.
Anxious tourists, including some foreigners, flooded the airport in Srinagar on Saturday, many without tickets for flights that day.
Visitor numbers have been boosted by the Amarnath Yatra pilgrimage, which draws hundreds of thousands of Hindus each year.
Comment: 'Fear rules Kashmir as BJP goes about realising its dream'
The pilgrimage has been cancelled because of the scare. A huge security force had been guarding the route even before the alert. A second smaller pilgrimage, the Machail Mata Yatra, in Jammu region was also cancelled on Saturday.
Airport chaos
“Passengers who were scheduled to return in coming days have turned up in panic at the airport today,” said the manager of one airline operating the Delhi-Srinagar route.
“It's chaotic and not many will manage seats unless there are additional flights.”
Hundreds of Indian students from outside Kashmir were evacuated in buses.
“All the non-local students have left the campus for their respective states,” an administrative official at the National Institute of Technology in Srinagar told AFP.
Kashmiri residents formed long lines outside petrol stations, food stores and bank cash machines on Friday night after the alert was announced. But the queues eased Saturday.
The Indian government has admitted that 10,000 extra troops were sent to IOK a week ago. Media reports on Friday said a further 25,000 had been ordered there.
The government has declined to say how many are in the new reinforcements.
While military authorities and the state government highlighted the security risk, Kashmir politicians have raised fears that the troops are sign that the Hindu nationalist government could carry out a threat to scrap occupied Kashmir's special status under the constitution.
Political leaders in the territory have warned that cancelling constitutionally guaranteed rights, which mean only state domiciles can buy land in the region, could spark unrest.
Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik, who is named by the New Delhi government, said “unnecessary panic” was being created by “rumours”.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has refused to say whether it is about to scrap the constitutional article, though he has often spoken against it.
Comments (91) Closed
Serious threat of impending terror attack.
The end is in sight for article 35A, Kashmir will be brought on par with other Indian states. Kashmir economy will be made open for investment, tourism and business. Status quo helps no one, the article must go.
Please relax. Wait and see. Something good is going to happen now that is why troops are there.
Some very good news coming.
Terror by Indian military forces on innocent Kashmiris
Pakistan should be happy that kashmir problem will be solved forever by India and now you can concentrate on economic development
Indians are incapable of feeling the pain of Kashmiris... They cant care less whether Kashmiris live or die It's like the Israelis and the Palestinians....a Palestinian life doesnt count
Pakistan and Kashmir organizations based in U.K must raise this issue in UN about the atrocities of Indian atrocities.
It’s not about what but when..!!
This is getting very serious....Trump shared a vital information to India? Terrorism must be uprooted from the world.....it has no place on civilised society....
Special status non sense going. Good news for Pakistan.
Just another game being played by the Modi government. The ultimate goal here is to scrap the special status of Indian occupied Kashmir.
Big decision coming up soon. Kashmir could have been heaven like Kerala but then these politicians keep playing politics.
India is trying to divert international attention on Kashmir after trump statement.
Modi is delibreately creating a panic in Kashmir so that innocent people are starved to death. Where are so called human rights organizations now and why they are silent? Double standards when Muslims causes are highlighted either in Kashmir or Palistine, as such organizations are puppet of UNO, US and other countries, and they only follow their orders, as directed by them.
Finally. This is what Indians voted BJP to power for. Full might of Indian army to change IOK's demographics. And this too shall fail.
Something big on kashmir is to be announced soon..
Terrorism is a grave concern, India always think about people's safety.
The armed resistance in the IOK is quite akin with the international law, cannot be termed terror..!
Chaos and barbarism.
"Liberty has never come from the government. Liberty has always come from the subjects of it. The history of liberty is a history of resistance." - Woodrow Wilson
India must leave occupied Kashmir. Period. Kashmiris have the right to be free.
Entire Kashmir under the control of India is benefits in three ways. 1. India and Pakistan can live peacefully. 2.The kashmir and kashmiris can developed in all round. 3.More importantantly pakistan can spend comparably less on defence and spend more on development... pakistanis may be be welcomed all over the world.
@Zunaid, yes bro you are right
35,000 troops means at least 2 Divisions, which is a big force that too against civilians. Deployment of such a large force to stop a possible terror attack threat is difficult to accept where only few militants are involved. Something else is boiling up and this shows the true face of Kashmir the Indians don't want the world to know.
@Jo, "Big decision coming up soon. Kashmir could have been heaven like Kerala but then these politicians keep playing politics."...whatever gave you the idea that Kerala is heaven. I am a resident if this state and i can tell you it is possibky the most violence probe state in India. The indigenous Ketalite is always ready to use fists, swords and knives at the smallest provocation. Life in Kerala is not heaven but very close to hell.
Pakistan should keep in mind, Mr. Amit Shah is Home Minister of India.
Large scale terror attacks are imminent in Kashmir, as per international media reports.
It is WAR warning
Something does not seem quite right here. Indian govt decided to deploy an additional 10,000 troops in Kashmir citing terror threat, but did not stop tourists from going in. Then they decided to deploy another 25,000 or so troops, and all of a sudden, hell breaks loose, and all tourists in Kashmir have to leave now.
Pakistan had clearly won the PR battle in the aftermath of 26 Feb, and Indian air force were not able to answer a number of questions, e.g. any evidence of deaths in balakot after their surgical strikes or any signs of Pakistani F-16 which they claimed to have shot down. I wonder if Modi govt, having won a clear majority, is trying to wash off the lost PR battle from back then.
Us love affair with India is over . Us agreeing to Pakistan’s demand of Kashmir freedom . That’s why India is so scared now of losing Kashmir . In return Pakistan has offered resolution of Kashmir issue and possible partnership in pak China economic corridor
Kartik calling Kartik syndrome
@bhaRAT©, culture and religion from Middle East, bookish knowledge is from western writers, what have you got that is from your own ancestors desert Bharat? Probably you don’t know the meaning of Bharat, it is churning of knowledge!
Is the panic created in Occupied Kashmir by the Indian government is to send more forces in to the occupied territories or panic created to change the legal status of Kashmir. Either way the mass exodus point a finger to the in capabilities of the Indian government, that with 600,000 soldiers in Kashmir, they have not managed to control the freedom fighters and has sent 10,000 more soldiers and planning to send 25,000 more.
Soon, I will be able to buy house in Kashmir, and see my Pakistani friends from my house at hilltop and say hello from there....doesn’t it sound cool?
When you ARE the terror in Kashmir, what more can warn people about.
@CHELFLS, you points are only valid if entire Kashmir becomes Pakistan. One more thing India can't be trusted so Pakistan will never let its guards down by spending less on it army
@AM, yeah thats why, we gave them more special rights than people from other Indian states has.
The easiest way to know who the kashmiris like is to look at the presence of military in the two area on the civilians. While you never hear about the civilians hating the military on Pakistan side, the opposite is true in IOK
India is plotting a terror attack and then they're going to blame it on Pakistan.
Indian trolls will blame Pakistan for this as well.
Well I can feel a thunderstorm coming. The union of India is going to shaked to its foundation
Indian government will again create an event to blame Pakistan. Its clear they cannot stop the movement in Kasmir, so these are desperate attempts to divert the international attention.
Dawn, please post Pakistani comments too, i believe its our country's Paper
@Ahsan Gul, they are doing it so since last seven decades and just getting a verbal assurance like trump or reports of HRC which is useless
The Kashmiris cannot bear the suffering anymore probably the Indian Authorities have smelled the backlash coming as such the warning to leave Kashmir.
Big gamble.
Better safe than sorry. India is doing a responsible thing regardless of expense. Safety of tourists and pilgrims is paramount. Thank you Modi Govt.
@desi dimag, yes the innocent kashmiries being slaughtered by the Indian forces.
Time for PM IK and Trump to intervene.
@bhaRAT©, Which is why Woodrow Wilson presided over the first world war. He mistook the uncouth revanchism by the German Empire as its fight for liberty.
Another drama bu India to increase the number of soldiers in IOK
@Shubha,
Try it. And you'll regret it. All other Indian leaders were not fools.
@CHELFLS, You have raised good points. So much senseless military expenses are being incurred by Pakistan and India from the last 70 years that it's mind boggling. Both countries are developing countries and needs there wealth to develop their populace. On the top of that Pakistan now is under IMF. I don't know when practical senses will prevail and both the countries will go back to develop their countries instead of fighting an useless wars.
Ashok De b, Canada
Whatever Modi does, is good for the nation.
Once again india is going to perpetrate an attack on it's own army and then blame paksitan, in the wake of mounting pressure from Trump and world leaders to mediate the Kashmir issue. India desperately needs to grow up!
@MindReader, On 15th August 2019.
Why are you complaining? You wanted to solve Kashmir issue, and we are doing it.
Wait for 15 aug speech. Something good gonna happen
@CHELFLS,
Indians Dreaming as usual!!
Its funny how all the Indians are are lauding that this will solve the Kashmir issue for Pakistan. Pakistan does not have a Kashmir issue, Pakistan has a a KASHMIRI issue. The country takes issue when Kashmiris are killed and lynched by Indian forces under censure. The country takes issue when the Indian populace itself lynches Kashmiri students in open daylight in the middle of India and they lies by claiming that Kashmir is an integral part of India. Pakistan takes issue when Kashmiris are deprived of basic safety or independence in its own land! Pakistanis wave the Kashmiri flag proudly on their homes and businesses, while Indians burn them.
terrorists in uniform in occupied Kashmir backed by Modi's government are endeavouring to initmidate innocent Kashmiris.
@MindReader, It’s not about what, but when the Indian occupation will end in IOK, just like Soviet Russia's and now US's occupation of Afghanistan.
India is going to create terror itself so that they can annex the IOK before Trump can intervene.
Don't know why there is nothing about this in Pakistani media. That is why they are bombing. Lets hope Pakistanis are not sleeping, else they will say, oh we never saw this coming!
Things have changed drastically since Amit Shah has become the HM of India. Finally this dispute is heading to a logical conclusion.
@kamal, what good has resulted by the 18 years occupation of Afghanistan by the world's lone super-power US?
@Shubha, there is also an Article 370, drafted by none other than Maharajah Hari Singh of Kashmir, that was a condition imposed by the Maharajah for signing the letter of allegiance with India, forced by Nehru.
Hope there is no such thing but if there is any blast or something it is big enough to get the attention of both sides to sit down and resolve issues.
@desi dimag, terrorism was born in India when Hindu terrorists attacked and destroyed 500 years old Babri Masjid on fake and concocted reasons of Ram temple, nowhere found after deep excavations by the Indian archaeological department experts.
Mark my golden words, BJP is about to repeal Articles 35-A and 270 of it's constitution and in order to preempt any disturbances they have flooded the valley with troops.
There is no threat. It is just Indian govt gimmick to hide inflated GDP info leak and other ongoing case. This is what this rubbish govt has come to hide it's failures. And yes I am India side Kashmiri.
@kamal, I doubt something good will happen for Kashmiris with 35000 additional troops. It will be a genocide which may only be good news for Modi.
@A Ahmed , Trump statement is important for you, we dont take it seriously
Indian army spreading terror dropping cluster bombs and for what?
Tourist have been advised by Indian government to return from kashmir due to terrorist threats and all necessary arrangements for travel made. They are not fleeing. Don't give false information.
Indian aggression on poor kashmiris should be stopped
From pellet guns in IOK to cluster bombs in Azad Kashmir , Indians have really lost their minds.
@Anti-Corruption_Pakistani, It took you along time to realise this! They are there to help people in need but not stone pelted
@Ahsan Gul, who listen when all these organisations live on host counties’ charity
The recent tactical move by Indian Arm Forces into Jummu and Kashmir is part of strategy to change the local demography in direct contravention of United Nation Charter. The Indian Army is about to commence and take direct part in brutal genocide and ethnic cleansing of native Kashmiri population. The indian army under its cover will ensure the local muslim population are completely eliminated and replaced by imported Hindu and non muslim to shift the demographic shift in their favor. The international community must take serious note and take effective action to stop ongoing brutality and state sponsor terrorism by Indian Armed forces who are now positioned on to initiate most horrific ethnic genocide the world have ever seen. United Nation Security Council must act and intervene immediately and take action by sending UN Forces to protect and prevent the brutality by Indian Army. The citizens of the world wake up and take action to protect innocent Kashmiri population.
Impediments to progress for the past 70 years needs to be removed . State cannot get all the benefits from tax paying citizens from the rest of nation and live in largesse and not allow the state to develop like the rest of the nation. Isolate the terrorists and get their leaders to either be a part and develop or move further west. Remove article 370 and 35A . Pakistan can stay away as it’s a internal matter of India
@Shubha, And the Kashmiri freedom fighters will be open for war which will be accepted by International community as legitimate.
@Shubha, And so the freedom Fight will begin till freedom.
@Ajit Kumar: Bravo!
@ahmed, No it is not secret. Everyone knows what India is up to.
@Human Right Watch, where is Jummu?
@Jehengir khan, now you quote Trump who you criticized left and right??
@Zak,
Happy hallucinations. Keep dreaming.
@Dodger, What are you trying to say? Please come out of hallucination.
Time is up
@AM,
If you feel so much pain, may be you should take them all. After all you want Kashmiris and not the land or water right???
India is the terrorist in Kashmir.