Gujarat: BSF neutralised Pakistan intruder in Banaskantha

BSF troops spotted one suspicious person advancing towards the border fence after crossing the International Border. Read Further on Dynamite News:

Gandhi Nagar: The Border Security Force (BSF) troops neutralised a Pakistani intruder attempting to enter Indian territory in Banaskantha district on Friday night.

BSF troops spotted one suspicious person advancing towards the border fence after crossing the International Border.

They challenged the intruder, but he continued to advance, prompting them to open fire.

The intruder was neutralised on the spot by BSF.

Terror Attack in Pahelgam

Till exactly a month back, this world-famous tourist location in South Kashmir used to be overcrowded with tourists from various parts of the country, but today the scenic place wore a deserted look.

The fortunes of this tourist attraction changed drastically, with the footfall dropping sharply, after a group of terrorists, believed to be three to four in number, carried out a massacre of 25 innocent male tourists and one local man on this date last month -- April 22 -- in the Baisaran meadows of Pahalgam.

Due to the unprecedented fear caused by that gruesome incident, tourists have shunned Pahalgam, which used to bustle with visitors all the time.

One can see a handful of tourists moving around on the main road, but hotels are hardly occupied, and shops are without customers.

The Baisaran meadows are now out of bounds for visitors.

According to the J&K Tourism Department, Pahalgam saw a daily footfall of nearly 10,000 tourists before April 22. Today, the number has dropped to under 300.

Similarly, the number of vehicles entering the resort has plummeted from 1,300 per day to just about 150.

“This is the worst crisis we have ever faced,” says Zubair Ahmed, Vice President of the Pahalgam Beopar Mandal, a local traders' body.

A few tourists who have dared to come here feel disappointed as the authorities have banned entry to all gardens in Pahalgam.

Among the worst hit are the pony wallahs -- locals who earn their living by offering horseback rides to tourists around Pahalgam.

“I used to earn around Rs 4,000 a day but haven't earned a single penny since the attack," said a horse owner.

He went on to add, "We are also caught between the devil and the deep sea. We are frequently summoned to the police station for questioning... What is our fault?”

According to him, over 2000 pony walls are struggling for their livelihood because of the terror attack and its aftermath.

“The season is already lost,” said Zubair.

“But we have some hope from the upcoming Amarnath Yatra. Even though the pilgrimage doesn’t directly benefit tourism, it might help instill confidence among tourists to return to the valley," he added.

The Amarnath Yatra, an annual pilgrimage to the Holy Cave of Lord Shiva in the mountains of South Kashmir, is scheduled to begin on July 3.

While its route passes through Pahalgam, the economic benefit to local tourism has historically been limited due to the restricted and high-security nature of the event.

Still, many locals see it as a symbolic restart.