SRINAGAR/NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Foreign
diplomats visited India-ruled Kashmir on Thursday for the first time since New Delhi stripped the region of special status in August, but some European nations and others declined to go after being refused permission to travel independently.
India's portion of the Muslim-majority Himalayan region, also claimed by
Pakistan, has been under severe restrictions - including one of the world's longest internet shutdowns - after
India revoked decades-old laws granting Kashmir autonomy and statehood, leading to widespread unrest.
Raveesh Kumar, a spokesman for India's foreign ministry, said diplomats of 15 countries, including the
United States, were on a two-day trip "to see first-hand the efforts that have been made by the government to normalize the situation".