A major escalation in the decades-long dispute over the territory of Kashmir has seen missiles launched from India into Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, resulting in dozens of deaths.
India has said the strikes were in retaliation for the April terrorist attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir.
The Foreign Office warns that there have been “reports of Pakistani artillery fire across the Line of Control [the military control line between the two countries]” in response.
It also says that “the Indian government announced a civil defence mock drill on 7 May in several states across India.
“The drill may include temporary power cuts or blackouts, loud air raid sirens, suspension of mobile signals, or traffic diversions. Authorities may also conduct evacuation exercises or hold public announcements.”
In India and Indian-administered Kashmir, the Foreign Office currently advises against travelling to specific parts of the country:
all travel within 10km (6.2 miles) of the India-Pakistan border. The Attari-Wagah border crossing is closed. all travel to the region of Jammu and Kashmir (including Pahalgam, Gulmarg, Sonamarg, the capital city of Srinagar and the Jammu-Srinagar national highway), except for travel by air to and from Jammu and within the city and travel within Ladakh.In Pakistan, it advises against all but essential travel within five miles of the international border with India, as well as all areas north of Nawabshah in the southern Sindh province, which borders India.
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In Pakistan-administered Kashmir, it advises against all travel to within 10 miles of the Line of Control.
Travelling against Foreign Office advice will invalidate many travel insurance policies.
The typical tourist season for British holidaymakers to India is drawing to a close, as temperatures reach 40°C in many parts of the country and the monsoon approaches others.
Tour operator Jules Verne says its India trips resume in September. However, trekking season is under way in the Himalayas.
Intrepid Travel offers group trips in India and Pakistan. It says that its itineraries that include the Atari-Wagah border – which is currently closed – will now be rerouted with an alternative activity taking place. However, it does not currently travel to the affected areas of Jammu and Kashmir.
While many parts of India are unaffected by the current political and military tension, travellers due to visit India imminently should contact their provider for updates. Those currently in India and Pakistan should monitor the situation closely for updates.
Flights to airports in Pakistan including Islamabad were temporarily suspended following the overnight Indian strikes (Photo: Aamir Qureshi/AFP)Many flights to, from and over both countries have been disrupted, and Pakistani airspace was temporarily closed with flights from its airports suspended. However, a limited number have now resumed.
British Airways cancelled its Wednesday flight from Heathrow to the Pakistani capital Islamabad. The airline says “safety and security are always our highest priorities and we continuously assess and adjust our operations accordingly.”
BA’s flights to and from India are currently operating as planned, although this morning’s departure from Heathrow to Delhi was slightly delayed, as was Air India’s, due to the airspace restrictions.
Virgin Atlantic’s Delhi departure was also affected. A spokesperson for the airline said that the airspace closure has resulted in “some pre-planned rerouting of our London to Delhi flights. The safety and security of our customers and crew remain our highest priority, and we will continue to assess the situation and provide updates on any further operational changes as necessary.”
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Read MoreAir India – which flies from Heathrow, Gatwick and Birmingham to Delhi, Mumbai, Goa, Bengaluru, Amritsar and Ahmedabad – has cancelled flights to Jammu, Srinagar, Leh, Jodhpur, Amritsar, Bhuj, Jamnagar, Chandigarh and Rajkot until 5.29am on Friday 10 May “following a notification from aviation authorities on closure of these airports”.
Air India advises that customers holding tickets on these routes “will be offered a one-time waiver on rescheduling charges or a full refund for cancellations”.
Flights on Gulf carriers are also affected. Etihad, which flies from the UK to several airports in India and Pakistan via Abu Dhabi, has cancelled flights to and from Islamabad and says that it is “an evolving situation and all Pakistan operations remain subject to further changes or disruption”.
Its flights to Lahore today “will operate with an extended delay of approximately 15 hours”, the airline said.
Flights to the region had already seen disruption since last month when Pakistan closed its airspace to Indian airlines in response to several measures taken by India following the April terrorist attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir.
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