International
Modi returns to India and shortens his visit to Saudi Arabia after a deadly attack in Kashmir
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shortened his visit to Saudi Arabia and returned to New Delhi on Wednesday after the deadly terrorist attack with 28 dead in the Pahalgam region, in Indian Kashmir, one of the worst attacks against civilians in recent years.
Upon his arrival in the Indian capital, the prime minister immediately held a high-level information meeting at the airport to analyze the situation resulting from the deadly attack against a group of tourists, which occurred yesterday, according to images from the Government.
Modi, who had just started an official visit to Saudi Arabia, met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, S. Jaishankar, National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval, and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, according to images of the meeting.
The attack in Pahalgam occurred yesterday when alleged militants attacked a group of tourists, killing 28 people and injuring more than 20.
Survivors of the attack, quoted by Indian media, told how the aggressors approached them in the meadow and began shooting at close range, pointing, according to reports, to individuals who claimed not to be Muslims.
The attack marks a serious escalation with respect to other recent incidents in Indian-controlled Kashmir.
Previously, the deadliest attack in recent years took place in February 2019, when a suicide attack killed at least 40 Indian paramilitary police officers.
As for attacks against civilians, a notable incident took place in March 2000, when an insurgent attack on a village in the south of the region killed at least 36 people.
The Kashmir region has been a long-standing point of conflict between India and Pakistan since its separation from the British Empire in 1947. Both nations have fought wars and other minor conflicts for the control of the territory.
Since 1989, the region has been the scene of an armed revolt against the New Delhi Government, a conflict that has caused the death of tens of thousands of people. India maintains that Pakistan supports the insurgency, a statement that Pakistan denies.
In response to the attack, the Indian Army and Kashmir Police have launched a search operation in the Baisran area, Pahalgam, in the Anantnag district, to arrest the perpetrators.
The attack on tourists in the Pahalgam area, in the Anantnag district, has caused widespread condemnation throughout the country. Several political leaders, including Modi and Interior Minister Amit Shah, have denounced the attack.
International leaders, such as US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, also issued statements condemning the violence and expressing their solidarity with India.
Kashmir administered by India woke up this Wednesday paralyzed under strong security measures, even greater than usual in this heavily militarized region, while security forces try to find those responsible for the insurgent attack that killed 28 people yesterday.
Hundreds of police and soldiers are deployed today in Srinagar, the main city of the region, and in other cities such as Pahalgam, the closest to the place of the attack, with patrols that go through every street making loud sirens sound, according to EFE.
The region also observes a total closure of its activity, called by several local religious and political leaders, in addition to the main commercial organizations.
All stores, commercial establishments and educational institutions are closed while university exams scheduled for today have been postponed.
The attack occurred yesterday about five kilometers from Pahalgam, in a meadow frequented by locals and visitors, when alleged insurgents attacked a group of tourists, causing the death of 28 people and injuring at least a dozen people.
Survivors of the attack, quoted by Indian media, told how the aggressors approached them in the meadow and began shooting at close range, pointing, according to reports, to individuals who claimed not to be Muslims.
The security forces have not notified the arrest of any person so far, while a police investigation is already underway.
“A team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is expected to arrive in Pahalgam to take charge of the investigation of the incident,” an official from the Kashmir divisional commissioner’s office told EFE.
According to a source close to the investigation cited by The Indian Express, there were four insurgents involved in the attack.
International
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Ecuador’s Armed Forces carried out an operation on Monday — including airstrikes — against illegal mining in the town of Buenos Aires, in the country’s north, Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo reported.
The mountainous, gold-rich area has been a hotspot for illegal mining since 2017, located in the Andean province of Imbabura.
In 2019, former president Lenín Moreno deployed around 2,400 soldiers to the region in an attempt to curb the illegal activity. “The operation began with mortar fire, followed by gunfire and bombing runs by Supertucano aircraft,” Loffredo said in a video released by the Defense Ministry.
He added that the operation would continue on Tuesday with patrols across the area to locate possible members of “irregular armed groups that may have crossed from the Colombian border.”
The Armed Forces stated on X that the intervention focused on the “complete elimination of multiple illegal mining tunnels” in the areas known as Mina Nueva and Mina Vieja.
The operation coincided with the deployment of a military and police convoy into Imbabura, which has been the epicenter of protests against President Daniel Noboa since September 22, following his decision to scrap the diesel subsidy.
International
Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win
Venezuela has announced the closure of its embassy in Norway, just days after opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Venezuelan diplomatic mission provided no explanation for its decision on Monday.
“It is regrettable,” a ministry spokesperson said. “Despite our differences on several issues, Norway wishes to keep the dialogue with Venezuela open and will continue to work in that direction.” The ministry also emphasized that the Nobel Committee operates entirely independently from the Norwegian government.
In its announcement, the Nobel Committee stated that Machado met the criteria established by Alfred Nobel, “embodying the hope for a different future, where the fundamental rights of Venezuelans are heard.”
International
Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains
Thousands of military personnel and civilians in Mexico worked tirelessly on Tuesday to clear roads blocked by the torrential rains of recent days, which have left more than 300 communities cut off across central and eastern regions of the country. Authorities also launched mass fumigation efforts in several affected areas to prevent the spread of dengue fever.
The official death toll remains at 64, though dozens of people are still missing. President Claudia Sheinbaumacknowledged that the government does not yet know the full situation in many of the isolated villages, which range in population from 500 to 1,000 inhabitants.
“The reopening of roads is one of the greatest urgencies,” Sheinbaum said. “It’s essential to guarantee air bridges, food supplies, clean water, and a proper census of the isolated communities so we can determine the condition of every person living there.”
Private construction companies are also assisting the effort with heavy machinery and technical support to help reopen highways and reconnect rural areas.
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win
Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains
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