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India Rebounds From Recent Terror Attacks

Days after the bombing of a Mumbai, India train line, the world?s most populous democracy went back to work and tried to achieve a sense of normalcy following the country?s deadliest terrorist attacks in years. Approximately 200 people died in the attacks, which rival Pakistan has distanced itself from, saying that Kashmiri terrorists under the pay and tutelage of Islamabad were not responsible for them. The heinous terrorist attacks in India were followed a day later by an unprovoked attack by the Hezbollah terror group of Lebanon on Israel, sparking a harsh Israeli response.

India has long dealt with Islamic terrorism, as Pakistan has supported terrorist separatist groups which have carried out attacks on civilian and governmental targets in Kashmir and throughout population centers in India itself. India and Pakistan have fought several wars over Kashmir, and came close to a military conflict, which might have included a nuclear exchange, in 2002.

Since then, the two countries have restored air and trade links but still approach relations with each other warily. In any case, India will recover from the attack on the trains, but will remain vigilant for some time as the country tensely waits for any follow-up attacks. Fighting between India and Kashmiri separatists, who either seek Kashmiri independence or a link-up with Pakistan, in past months had waned after a devastating earthquake hit Pakistan and several areas of Kashmir.