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Gulmarg's cable car gondola ride service suspended day after terror attack
Gulmarg authorities suspend the Gondola ropeway services as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of tourists and staff.
The Gondola ropeway service in Gulmarg was suspended on Friday by authorities as a precautionary measure, a day after the killings of four people, including two Indian Army soldiers, in a terror attack, officials told news agency PTI.
On Thursday, two soldiers and two civilian porters were killed, while another porter and soldier were injured. The attack took place only six kilometres away from Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district.
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The district is well-known as a resort town and tourist hotspot. The Gondola in Gulmarg is the second longest and second highest cable car service in the world.
Officials told news agency PTI, "The Gondola cable car project in Gulmarg's Bota Pathri sector has been temporarily shut following Thursday's terror attack. The shutdown is a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of tourists and staff."
Also Read: J&K: Army vehicle attacked near Gulmarg's Botapathri, 4 killed
The Gondola is expected to resume operations once security assessments and measures are complete, they added. The local authorities are working with security agencies to address the situation.
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"A massive search operation has been launched against the militants responsible for the attack...Additional reinforcements have been sent to the area," an army official told Reuters.
Security forces are using drones and helicopters to scan the forest in the region where the incident occurred, a senior police officer added.
Local authorities are working closely with security agencies to monitor and address the situation, they added.
The People's Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), allegedly related to the Jaish-E-Mohammed has claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement circulating on social media, though it has not been confirmed yet by the relevant authorities.
