Four police officers and two suspected rebels were killed in a gun battle in Jammu and Kashmir. The Indian army confirmed the deaths as part of “relentless operations” against terrorism. Recovery of arms and munitions from the site indicates the continued insurgency in the region, which remains embroiled in conflict connected to broader Indo-Pak relations and local calls for autonomy.
In a recent armed encounter in the forested southern Jammu region of India-administered Kashmir, four police officers and two suspected rebels have perished. The incident arose from an ongoing operation, described by the Indian army’s Rising Star Corps as leading to the “elimination of two terrorists,” a terminology often used for rebels opposing Indian governance in Kashmir.
An official source, who spoke anonymously to Reuters, reported the retrieval of three policemen’s bodies along with the body of another officer and two militants from the forested site. Additionally, arms and ammunition, including two grenades, a bulletproof vest, empty shells, and assault rifle magazines, were recovered during the operation.
Historically, this region has witnessed violent clashes between rebel factions and security forces, resulting in substantial casualties. While violence has moderated in recent years, government data indicates that at least 14 security personnel were killed in similar encounters during the first half of 2024, with 30 fatalities recorded in 2023.
The conflict escalated on Thursday when rebels allegedly ambushed a police patrol searching for militants near Kathua, close to the Pakistan border, according to police chief Nalin Prabhat. He accused the rebels, believed to have escaped a security cordon earlier, of having ties to Pakistan, asserting that authorities would remain vigilant against such cross-border violence.
The longstanding territorial dispute over Kashmir has positioned it at the center of more than seven decades of conflict between India and Pakistan, both of which assert full claim over the region. Allegations of Pakistan facilitating the movement of fighters into Kashmir have been met with denial from Pakistani authorities, who assert their support for Kashmir’s autonomy instead of aggression.
The region’s stability has been further compromised since 2019, following New Delhi’s revocation of Kashmir’s semi-autonomous status. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi endorsed this controversial decision, firmly stating, “Only the constitution of Babasaheb Ambedkar will operate in Kashmir… No power in the world can restore Article 370 (partial autonomy) in Kashmir.”
This recent incident reflects the ongoing tensions and violence in India-administered Kashmir, highlighting the complexities of the Indo-Pak conflict and the persistent threats faced by local law enforcement. Despite a noted decrease in overall violence, encounters such as this remind observers of the volatile situation in the region and the political undertones influencing these events.
Original Source: www.aljazeera.com
