India says landline phone service restored in Kashmir

Officials said on Thursday they have restored landline telephone service in Indian-administered Kashmir after suspending most communications on August 5, when India’s government downgraded the Muslim-majority region’s autonomy.

People lined up at offices and homes that have landline telephones to try to contact family and friends after being unable to do so for a month, AP reported.

The government says it suspended communications across the Kashmir Valley, including the main city of Srinagar, to prevent rumors from spreading after a strict security lockdown was imposed.

Residents are still resisting attempts by authorities to show that normalcy has returned, with shopkeepers refusing to open their stores despite India easing some curbs, Reuters said.