UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, responding to inquiries, emphasised the Secretary-General's condemnation of the attack.

Media reports indicate that a gunman opened fire on a group of people near Pahalgam, in the region's south, leaving more than two dozen dead.

Mr. Guterres extends his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families, said Mr. Dujarric, underscoring “that attacks against civilians are unacceptable under any circumstances.”

Jammu and Kashmir has been disputed by India and Pakistan, since the end of British rule in the late 1940s.