One victim had recently returned home after decades working abroad to enjoy a retirement filled with travel and family time; another hoped the trip into the beauty of Indian-administered Kashmir would cheer the spirits of his semi-paralyzed wife.

The attack appeared to be a major shift in the regional conflict in which tourists have largely been spared from violence.

Police in India's Kashmir published notices on Thursday naming three suspected militants "involved in" the attack on tourists this week in which 26 people were killed, and announced rewards for information leading to their arrest.