India: Two people killed in Srinagar (Kashmir) October 5

Event

On Friday, October 5, gunmen killed at least two people in Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir). According to local sources, the attack took place in the Karfali Mohalla area of the city and targeted members of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) party. A heightened security presence is anticipated in Srinagar in the coming days. Further attacks are possible in Kashmir in the near-term.

Context

Jammu and Kashmir is the only Muslim-majority state in Hindu-majority India. After independence from colonial rule (August 1947), India and Pakistan fought a war over the region of Kashmir. An insurgency started in the Indian Kashmir Valley in the late 1980s.

Advice

As a reminder, some Western governments advise their citizens against travel to parts of Kashmir, notably areas along the Line of Control (LoC), due to the significant risk of violence.