Authorities in Indian-administered Kashmir have demolished the houses of at least 10 alleged militants
Authorities in Indian-administered Kashmir have demolished the houses of at least 10 alleged militants and detained more people for questioning as investigations continue into last week’s killings of 26 people.
Indian security forces have used explosives to destroy the properties since last Tuesday’s attack on tourists. At least one was reportedly linked to a suspect named in the shootings.
India accuses Pakistan of supporting militants behind the killings, but has named no group it blames. Islamabad rejects the allegations.
It was the deadliest attack on civilians in two decades in the disputed territory. Both India and Pakistan claim the region and have fought two wars over it.
Troops from both sides have traded intermittent small-arms fire across the border for the past few days.
Speculation continues over whether India will respond with military strikes against Pakistan, as it did after deadly militant attacks in 2019 and 2016.
Authorities said last week they had conducted extensive searches in Indian-administered Kashmir, detaining more than 1,500 people for questioning since the attack near the tourist town of Pahalgam. More people have been detained since then, although the numbers are unclear.
Officials have not spoken publicly about the demolitions but the houses targeted reportedly belonged to families of alleged militants active in the region or those who have crossed over to Pakistan.
The demolitions at various locations across the Muslim-majority Kashmir valley began last Thursday, with the most recent occurring overnight on Saturday into Sunday.
The region’s top leaders have supported action against alleged militants but questioned the demolitions of the homes of suspected militants’ families.
Without mentioning the demolitions, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the guilty must be punished without mercy, “but don’t let innocent people become collateral damage”.
Former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti also criticised the demolitions, cautioning the government to distinguish between “terrorists and civilians”.
Last November, India’s Supreme Court banned so-called “bulldozer justice”, a practice which has been on the rise in recent years in India.
Since the Pahalgam attack, a number of Kashmiri students enrolled in colleges in different parts of India have also reported being attacked or threatened by locals, asking them to leave.
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