Protests erupt in cities across India after at least 26 killed in Kashmir shooting

Protesters have taken to the streets of the capital New Delhi and several other cities across India after an attack in India-controlled Kashmir on Tuesday which killed at least 26 people, most of them tourists.

Police called the incident a "terror attack" and blamed militants fighting against Indian rule.

While senior ministers and Indian officials have not yet provided details of Tuesday's attack, a large section of Indian media and political commentators immediately blamed Pakistan for it, without citing evidence.

Also on Wednesday, India closed its main border crossing with Pakistan, suspended a water-sharing treaty and downgraded diplomatic ties with its neighbour.

Pakistan denies any involvement in the attack. "We are concerned at the loss of tourists' lives," Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement while wishing the injured a speedy recovery.

Officials said 24 of the people killed were Indian tourists, one was from Nepal and one was a local tourist guide.

At least 17 others were injured in the incident, which was one of the deadliest attacks in years in the restive Himalayan region, claimed by both India and Pakistan.

"Kashmir Resistance," a previously unknown militant group, claimed responsibility for the attack on social media.

The group said authorities had settled over 85,000 "outsiders" in the region and claimed that those targeted on Tuesday were not "ordinary tourists" but "were linked to and affiliated with Indian security agencies."

The group's messages could not be independently verified.