Crackdown sparks outrage

People walk through the rubble of the family house of Ehsan Ahmad Sheikh which was demolished by the Indian authorities at Murran village in Pulwama, south Kashmir, April 26, 2025. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

Soldiers have blown up nine homes of suspected rebels in Kashmir and detained nearly 2,000 people since a deadly attack last week, sparking public anger and accusations of “collective punishment”.

The demolitions, which left nine families homeless, began a day after the April 22 attack targeting the tourist hotspot of Pahalgam, in which 26 men were killed.