UK, Germany issue advisory against travel to J&K

UK and Germany issued a travel advisory “strongly” discouraging their citizens from travelling to Jammu and Kashmir  due to the recent security alert in the state and asked those staying in the Kashmir Valley or along the Armanath Yatra pilgrimage route to leave the state. The UK advisory for its citizens travelling to Jammu and Kashmir, warned against travel to the state, except Jammu city and Ladakh, after the Indian government advised Amarnath pilgrims and tourists to leave in view of the security situation. It advised against “all but essential travel to the city of Srinagar and travel between the cities of Jammu and Srinagar on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway”, and also advised against travel to the tourist destinations of Pahalgam, Gulmarg and Sonmarg. It said the British High Commission in New Delhi was monitoring the situation following reports that the Jammu and Kashmir government had advised tourists and Amarnath Yatra pilgrims to curtail their stay in the Kashmir Valley immediately and take necessary measures to return home as soon because of security threats. The German advisory said “Travel to Kashmir is strongly discouraged.” Travel to the Kashmir area, including Srinagar, is not advised, it said. “In the state of Jammu and Kashmir, terrorist acts of violence and unpredictable conflicts between demonstrators and the police or the army are also taking place. Since September 2016, there have also been renewed armed clashes between Indian and Pakistani troops as well as with various separatist groups along the international border and the ceasefire line (LoC). It asked citizens to “always follow the instructions of local authorities and security forces”. The state government has advised the Amarnath Yatra pilgrims and tourists to leave the valley keeping in view of the “latest intelligence inputs of terror threats”. Earlier in the day, the UK issued a travel advisory for its citizens travelling to Jammu and Kashmir, warning against travel to the state, except Jammu city and Ladakh, after the Indian government advised Amarnath pilgrims and tourists to leave in view of the security situation.