Six international tourists found themselves the focus of an "unruly mob," after a large group of Kashmiri locals mistook them for the area's notorious braid-choppers.
If you're confused, braid-chopping, in this case, is exactly what it sounds like.
In the past two weeks, numerous Kashmiri women have reported having their hair pulled and then cut off by an unidentified individual or individuals. Although the exact number of victims varies by report, NDTV says at least 40 women have filed complaints about having their hair forcibly cut.
The women "have refused, despite filing complaints, to offer details of the attack or clues that could help identify the offender," reports NDTV.
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Although officials are offering 6,000 lakh (about $9,000) for any information leading to an arrest, details remain sparse.
Some believe the forced haircuts are being conducted by security forces as an "intimidation tactic," but as the braid-cutting continue, fear is mounting throughout the Kashmir Valley. The growing uncertainty has led to a growing number of independent vigilante groups who are rounding up and attacking people they believe to be the perpetrators.
It is in this environment which the six lost tourists-three Australians and one each from England, Ireland and South Korea-found themselves. While using Google Maps, they got lost traveling through the area and were then spotted by a group of locals reports the Hindustan Times.
"...the vehicle was stopped by a group of locals who, on spotting foreigners in the vehicle, created a hue and cry," said a police spokesman. "It caused a large gathering of people on the spot quickly turning into an unruly mob."
Fortunately, a few Good Samaritans jumped in and called the police before anyone was injured.
According to the Hindustan Times, the tourists were accommodated in local hotels for the night and were "seen off to their next destination" the following day.
Police are calling the various mob attacks "mass hysteria" and say their resources are being stretched thin as they respond to each occurrence.
"Our resources, our manpower and our all time is now focused on tracing these cases. Whereas our anti-militancy operations, our intelligence gathering is suffering-and suffering very badly" said Munir Ahmad Khan, Kashmir's Inspector General of Police.
The attacks come at a critical time for Kashmir as it strives to bring tourists back to the region. To help counter the "negative portrayal of the Kashmiris," the Jammu & Kashmir Tourism agency recently released a five-minute video with the theme/hashtag #TheWarmestPlaceOnEarth.
Essentially, the video portrays a couple visiting from India who a day in the valley in the company of a driver hired by their travel agent. At the end of the video, however, they learn a mistake has been made and the driver is not a hired driver, but rather a hospitable local who was out running an errand when he encountered the travelers.
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The region's tourism sector employs more than 100,000 people in direct and indirect employment.
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