Indian soldiers in Kashmir have reportedly killed two suspected militants along the heavily fortified de facto border with Pakistan, as stated by the army on September 9, 2024. This incident comes amid campaigning for local elections in the disputed region.
Kashmir, a Muslim-majority area, has been contested by India and Pakistan since both nations gained independence from British rule in 1947, with both countries claiming the territory in its entirety.
India-controlled Kashmir is preparing for its first local assembly elections in a decade, scheduled to commence on September 18, 2024. The Indian army’s White Knight Corps announced that “two terrorists have been neutralised,” indicating that the individuals were killed in the forested Nowshera region.
Along with the militants, military supplies and automatic weapons were seized during the operation. Approximately 500,000 Indian troops are stationed in the region, engaged in a 35-year-long insurgency that has resulted in tens of thousands of casualties among civilians, soldiers, and rebels since 1989.
The region has not had an elected government since 2019, following the revocation of its partial autonomy by the central government, leading to direct control from New Delhi.
An estimated 8.7 million individuals are eligible to vote in the upcoming assembly elections, with results anticipated on October 8, 2024.
In advance of the elections, Prime Minister Modi is expected to hold rallies in the southern Jammu areas of the territory, which boasts a significant Hindu population.
Rebel factions in this tumultuous region have been in conflict with Indian forces for decades, advocating for either independence or integration with Pakistan. Over the past two years, more than 50 soldiers have lost their lives in skirmishes with militants, predominantly in the Jammu district.
India and Pakistan continue to blame each other for promoting militancy and espionage, further straining relations between the nuclear-armed neighbors, who have engaged in several conflicts over control of Kashmir.
Published – September 09, 2024 12:58 pm IST
