India Army Chief Visits Kashmir Amid Rising Tensions with Pakistan

Tensions between India and Pakistan have sharply escalated following a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, where militants killed 26 male Hindu tourists. India has accused Pakistan of involvement, which Islamabad strongly denies, leading both nuclear-armed nations to implement retaliatory measures such as suspending a key river water-sharing treaty and closing airspace to each other's airlines, disrupting international flights. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed to relentlessly pursue those responsible, while leaders from his Bharatiya Janata Party have called for possible military action against Pakistan. The attack and subsequent events have unsettled financial markets, causing Indian stock indices to drop and affecting the rupee and bond yields. The Indian army chief, General Upendra Dwivedi, traveled to Kashmir to assess security and oversee counter-terrorism efforts amid heightened cross-border tensions. These developments underscore the fragility of peace in the disputed Kashmir region, which both countries claim and where periodic violence has repeatedly brought them to the brink of conflict.