NEW DELHI, Oct 3: An official British advisory against travel to the border areas and to Jammu and Kashmir, apparently stemming from recent attacks in Kashmir and Gujarat and India’s verbal response to them has raised fears of things getting out of control on the border again, news reports and analysts said on Thursday.

“Britain has advised its citizens against travel to Jammu and Kashmir and border areas of Gujarat, Rajasthan and Punjab citing ‘heightened’ tensions between India and Pakistan,” the Press Trust of India said in a dispatch from London.

“In view of the heightened tension and increased troop movements along the India-Pakistan border, we advise against all travel in those areas of Gujarat, Rajasthan and Punjab in the imminent vicinity of the border and areas of Ladakh close to the Line of Control,” PTI quoted the revised advisory as saying.

Cautioning extra vigilance in the wake of the recent terrorist attack on the Swaminarayan temple in Gujarat, the advisory however did said that travel to Amritsar, Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner or Jaisalmer was safe, according to PTI.

“Citing a risk of conflict between India and Pakistan, the advisory said the situation could deteriorate at short notice,” PTI said.

Political and defence analysts said recent remarks by Indian ministers and from the armed forces, reflecting a hardline position toward Pakistan, may be responsible for the new advisory.

“The attacks, not only continuing but escalating terrorist attacks, may find the government of India constrained to take some preventive action,” former ambassador to Pakistan J.N. Dixit told Dawn. He was commenting on the likely reasons for the new British advisory.

Mr Dixit said recent remarks by senior government ministers and the air force chief appeared to indicate the reasons for the British worries.

The advisory significantly follows last week’s visit to India and Pakistan by US Assistant Secretary of State Christina Rocca who held a meeting of regional heads of US missions in South Asia. The American Embassy could not be reached for comments to the British advisory.

Indian Finance Minister Jaswant Singh had said recently that every country has a right to pre-emptive strikes as an inherent part of its right to self-defence and it is not the prerogative of any one nation.

On Oct 1, India news reports said Pakistan troops had resorted to shelling and firing from across the Line of Control on various sectors from Siachen Glacier to Kathua district in Jammu and Kashmir the previous night.

A spokesman of the northern command was quoted as saying that Pakistani troops resorted to artillery shelling in Yaldor area of Kargil district from 4.45pm to 11pm the previous day. They also targeted Moshkoh area of Drass sector with 60 artillery shells from 11.45pm to 3am.

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee last week said US pressure on Pakistan “to abandon support to terrorism appears not to be working and asserted that India will have to fight its own battle against the menace.”

“Militants will not succeed in their designs. Our soldiers have demonstrated. India is vigilant and in a position to meet the challenges on its own,” said Vajpayee.

Other senior ministers have said that war with Pakistan was never ruled out as an option to resolve the issues of ‘terrorism’ with that country.

“We strongly advise against travel to Jammu and Kashmir, apart from travel to Ladakh via Manali or by air to Leh,” the latest British advisory says.