Relations between India and Pakistan are cratering following a deadly attack in the disputed Himalayan region of Jammu and Kashmir that left more than two dozen tourists dead, raising fears of military escalation between the nuclear-armed rivals.

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi says the gunmen behind a terrorist attack on tourists in the Kashmir region "will not be spared!"

At least 26 people died and 17 others were injured when suspected militants opened fire at a popular tourist spot in the Pahalgam region of India's Jammu and Kashmir territory this week. As security forces hunt for the perpetrators,