Uh oh:
At least 33 soldiers were killed and about 20 others wounded Thursday in a car bomb attack on a paramilitary convoy along a key highway in Indian-controlled Kashmir, security officials said. It was one of the deadliest car bombings in the disputed region's history.
Officials said a local Kashmiri militant rammed an explosive-laden van into the convoy, targeting a bus carrying at least 35 soldiers. ...
Sanjay Sharma, a spokesman for India's paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force, said many of the injured were in critical condition. "The blast was so powerful that one cannot recognize whether the vehicle was a bus or a truck. Just pieces of mangled steel remain of the vehicle," he said.
This is a very tense situation with Pakistan persisting in attacking India while denying it is doing so.
And with the dead seemingly going to move north of 40 very quickly, Pakistan will find that the usual denials aren't going to make India think that without hard evidence they can't do much in response.
No, I think that many dead Indian troops in a very high profile attack will compel India to strike Pakistan in retaliation.
India and Pakistan have nuclear weapons.
Have a super sparkly day.
UPDATE: Here we go?
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned Pakistan on Friday to expect a strong response to a suicide attack that killed 44 paramilitary policemen in Kashmir, ratcheting up tension between the nuclear-armed neighbors. ...
"We will give a befitting reply, our neighbor will not be allowed to de-stabilize us," Modi said in a speech, after meeting security advisers to discuss options. ...
Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale summoned Pakistan's ambassador, Sohail Mahmood, and issued a demarche demanding Pakistan take verifiable action against Jaish. India also recalled its ambassador in Pakistan for consultations, a government source said.
So how large in scope and duration will the Indian response be? Seriously, what could restrain India given that America is against supporting jihadis and China imprisons huge numbers of Moslem and brainwashes them out of a worry that some could become jihadis.
UPDATE: That's not good for Pakistan:
The United States has told India it supports its right to defend itself against cross-border attacks, the government said on Saturday, as New Delhi considers retaliation against a car bombing in disputed Kashmir claimed by Pakistan-based militants.
That is the right thing for America to say given Pakistan's unrelenting campaign of violence against India.
But do remember that we have troops in Afghanistan with major supply lines that go through Pakistan. Yes, we do have alternatives--through Iran and Russia.
Thanks Pakistan, your circular firing squad keeps hitting us, too.
The only good thing to say about Pakistan is that it is better to have them as a highly flawed ally than it is to have them as an enemy. Although I freely admit you need a firm grasp of nuance to see the difference these days.
Actually, Pakistan should be grateful to America. I'm sure America's backing of India comes with limits to the scope of India's actions to defend themselves that we will back.
UPDATE: India is hunting the "mastermind" of the bombing. This won't remain an internal issue for long. God help the Pakistanis if that mastermind flees to Pakistan.
That mastermind is probably more at risk from his Pakistani allies who would be happier with a dead mastermind who tells no tales and attracts no Indian bombs.
UPDATE: Oh, now the Pakistanis want to talk?
Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Tuesday Pakistan would retaliate if India were to attack in response to a bombing in the disputed Kashmir region, which India blamed on Pakistan, while adding he wanted to cooperate in investigating the blast.
An offer to help investigate is just stalling for time because Pakistan is well aware of what happened.
Stuff is going to blow up inside Pakistan and the only question is whether India does it openly or denies it to play Pakistan's game of "prove it." I suspect the former will happen.
And then Pakistan will be on the hook to make good their vow to "retaliate" for an Indian strike that is in fact the retaliation for the Pakistani bombing.
