Dozens of tourists were killed and several others injured after suspected militants opened fire at a popular resort in Indian-administered Kashmir on Tuesday, in one of the region's worst attacks in years.
A local police official told The National that at least 24 people died in the attack at Pahalgam, which local media said was claimed by a group calling itself The Resistance Front.
Images broadcast on Indian television showed bodies scattered on a grassy slope as people call for help. Government forces launched a manhunt after sealing off the area, which is accessible only on foot or on horseback.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has cut short a trip to Saudi Arabia to deal with the killings, vowed to defeat what he called the "evil agenda" of the attackers. "Those behind this heinous act will be brought to justice ... they will not be spared," he said.
Authorities said two of the dead were foreign tourists, one a resident of the UAE and the other from Nepal. The UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement expressing its "strong condemnation of these criminal acts and its permanent rejection of all forms of violence and terrorism".
A witness told local media that at least four armed militants emerged from a forest and opened fire on tourists gathered in a meadow. About 200 tourists and locals were believed to be present when the gunmen started firing.
Omar Abdullah, the chief minister of the region, said the “attack is much larger than anything we have seen directed at civilians in recent years”. The deadliest recent attack on tourists was in March 2000, when militants shot dead 35 people from the local Sikh community.
US visit
The latest attack at Pahalgam comes on the second day of US Vice President JD Vance’s visit to India. Mr Vance offered his condolences for what he said was a "devastating terrorist attack". President Donald Trump called the attacks "deeply disturbing".
Mr Modi is expected back in India early on Wednesday after skipping an official dinner in Saudi Arabia, the Indian government said. He had been due back in
India and Pakistan each took control of parts of Kashmir when British rule ended in 1947, but both claim the territory in its entirety. India-administered Kashmir has been the scene of a decades-long armed rebellion against Indian rule that has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people.
India revoked the region's semi-autonomous status in 2019 and brought it under the direct control of the federal government. It accuses Pakistan of supporting the insurgency and about 500,000 troops are permanently stationed in the territory, with armed militancy on the decline in recent years.
Mr Modi's move to take control followed a suicide bombing in Kashmir in which about 40 soldiers were killed, an incident which almost brought the two nuclear-armed nations to the brink of war. Non-Kashmiris were allowed to buy property in the region a series of attacks on migrant workers from other Indian states followed.
However, Indian authorities have sought to promote tourism in the region, which is known for its glacial lakes, snow-capped mountains and pine trees. Pahalgam, located east of the regional capital Srinagar, is used as a base camp for the Amarnath pilgrimage, an annual trek to a cave shrine dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. Nearly half a million Hindus trek there each summer, with government forces guarding the region.
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How to keep control of your emotions
If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.
Greed
Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.
Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.
Fear
The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.
Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.
Hope
While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.
Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.
Frustration
Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.
Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.
Boredom
Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.
Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.
If you go
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.
The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.
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Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
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Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
