India again halts text messaging services in Kashmir
The Indian government has blocked text messaging services for mobile phones in the Indian-administered Kashmir only a day after a communication lockdown had been partially terminated in the disputed region.
Indian security sources said on Tuesday that the decision to snap text services in Kashmir was taken by the country’s Home Ministry to curb the ability of alleged militants to communicate, AFP reported.
Authorities said that SMS services had been cut following a deadly attack on a truck driver in the Shopian district of Kashmir.
Residents said two masked gunmen told the driver to move his vehicle because it was blocking the road, but it skidded and got stuck. “The gunmen then fired at the truck and set it on fire,” a witness told AFP.
Indian authorities had restored call and text services for mobile phones on Monday after a 72-day blackout in the restive region over New Delhi’s scrapping of Kashmir’s semi-autonomy.
Internet services, also cut over two months ago, continue to be unavailable.
Kashmir has long been a flash point between India and Pakistan, which have fought three of their four wars over the disputed territory. Both countries rule parts of Kashmir while claiming it in full.
India regularly accuses Pakistan of arming and training militants and allowing them across the restive frontier in an attempt to launch attacks. Pakistan strongly denies the allegation.
India stripped the Indian-controlled portion of the Muslim-majority region of its semi-autonomous status on August 5.
New Delhi dispatched thousands of additional troops to the region, declared a strict curfew, shut down telecommunications and internet services, and arrested political leaders and pro-independence campaigners as well.
In the wake of the move, Pakistan expelled the Indian ambassador, halted bilateral trade, and suspended cross-border transport services.
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