At least 26 people were killed and 17 others wounded when gunmen opened fire on tourists in Indian-controlled Kashmir, the worst assault in years targeting civilians in a restive region that has seen an anti-India rebellion for more than three decades.

The Pakistani government said it did not want an escalation, but in the wake of a deadly attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir by unidentified militants, analysts warned of an unpredictable situation.

India has cut off part of Pakistan’s water supply and shut down the border after a terrorist attack in Kashmir triggered the worst diplomatic spat between the two countries in decades.