India on alert for communal strife after Kashmir attack

The Indian government is on alert following a recent deadly attack on Indian forces in Kashmir that has triggered a wave of communal violence against Kashmiris residing in different parts of India.

India’s Interior Ministry on Sunday ordered increased safety measures for Kashmiri civilians following reports of mob attacks on them in various parts of the South Asian country.

The ministry issued an advisory to all states to “ensure their (the Kashmiris’) safety and security and maintain communal harmony.”

A car bomb attack on a military convoy of Indian forces in Indian-administered Kashmir killed at least 44 of them on Thursday. The attack was claimed by a Pakistan-based militant group and was the worst in decades of militancy in the disputed valley, which is claimed in full by both India and Pakistan but ruled partially by each.

The bombing has caused widespread anger across India, with some demonstrations and TV news channels demanding military action against Pakistan.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed a strong response to the attack.

Pakistan is widely accused of arming and training militants.

On Wednesday, an explosives-laden car rammed into a bus carrying Iranian security personnel in Sistan-and-Baluchestan Province — which borders Pakistan — killing 27 of them and wounding 13 others. The so-called Jaish ul-Adl terrorist group, which is linked to al-Qaeda, claimed responsibility for the assault.

Various civilian and military Iranian officials have in the wake of the Wednesday terrorist attack used unprecedented rhetoric against the government in Islamabad for harboring terrorists, who routinely stage attacks against Iran from inside Pakistan and then retreat into Pakistani territory.

SS