Militants in Kashmir killed at least 26 tourists and injured many others on Tuesday in the worst assault on civilians in the Indian-administered territory in years, which India has called a terrorist attack.
No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the shooting, which took place near the town of Pahalgam in the picturesque Baisaran Valley. But in the past, India blamed Pakistan for similar attacks. One such violent episode in 2019 brought the two nations to the brink of war.
Here is what to know about the tensions between India and Pakistan over Kashmir.
Kashmir is a disputed territory.
Kashmir, a scenic and ethnically diverse valley in the Himalayan mountains, has been racked by violence for generations.
Its fate was left undecided in 1947, when the British divided India, its former colony, into two countries. One was Pakistan, which has a Muslim majority. The other, made up mostly of Hindus, retained the name India.
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The Hindu ruler of Kashmir, which had also fallen within British India, refused to accede to either India or Pakistan. Both nations coveted the territory, a Muslim-majority region rich in natural beauty and resources.
Within months of the partition, however, the ruler changed his mind. The territory became a part of India. But Pakistan did not give up its claim. Both countries sent troops into the region, leading Pakistan to occupy about one-third and India two-thirds.
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