Fresh India-Pakistan border hostilities feared as Kashmir tourist attack opens old wounds

People participate in a candle march against the killing of tourists by militants near Pahalgam in Indian controlled Kashmir, in Ahmedabad, India, Thursday, April 24, 2025. The bloodiest attack in Kashmir in five years has dealt a blow to the relative calm on the Line of Control. - AP

NEW DELHI: The killing of 26 tourists in Kashmir has reignited India-Pakistan tensions, with analysts warning of a possible escalation of hostilities between the two South Asian neighbours, which have gone to war twice before.

India has blamed Pakistan for the April 22 attack on tourists in Kashmir’s Pahalgam, known as “mini Switzerland” for its alpine beauty. The killings shattered a period of relative calm in the restive region and dismayed residents, who depend on tourism for their livelihoods.