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.

Tuesday's bloodshed in Pahalgam - where at least 26 tourists were killed in a hail of gunfire - marks the deadliest militant attack in Kashmir since 2019.

The decision to downgrade diplomatic ties with Pakistan in view of cross-border links to the Pahalgam terror attack was taken in the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting held at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence on April 23.