Users in Kashmir are being kicked off WhatsApp because of inactivity.

Axar.az reports citing foreign media.

It is a side-effect of the four-month internet blackout, imposed by the Indian government after the region was stripped of its autonomy in August.

Facebook, which owns the WhatsApp messaging service, said users would need to be re-added to groups "upon regaining access to the internet".

India has 400 million WhatsApp users, making the country its biggest market.

In a statement, a WhatsApp spokesperson told the BBC it "cares deeply about providing users everywhere with the ability to privately communicate with their friends and loved ones".

But it added: "To maintain security and limit data retention, WhatsApp accounts generally expire after 120 days of inactivity.

"When that happens, those accounts automatically exit all their WhatsApp groups. People will need to be re-added to groups upon regaining access to the internet and joining WhatsApp again."