SRINAGAR, India (AP) — A protracted gunbattle erupted in Indian-controlled Kashmir, resulting in the deaths of at least four police officials and three suspected militants, officials reported on Friday. The conflict began on Thursday when police counterinsurgency teams and soldiers cordoned off a forested area in the southern Kathua district of Jammu region, acting on intelligence that anti-India insurgents were present in the vicinity.
The fighting, characterized by the use of firearms, grenades, and rockets, culminated in the deaths of three police officials and three insurgents. Furthermore, the confrontation left at least six police personnel and two soldiers injured on Thursday. On Friday, authorities discovered the body of an additional policeman in the ongoing conflict zone. As of the latest updates, the bodies of the deceased combatants have not yet been recovered due to the sustained intensity of the fighting.
Security officials believe that the group of militants involved in the gunbattle is likely the same contingent that had previously managed to evade capture following a brief exchange of gunfire approximately 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the latest confrontation site on Sunday.
The territorial dispute in Kashmir has long been a point of contention between nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan, with both nations administrating parts of the region while claiming sovereignty over the entire territory. Since 1989, militants in the Indian-administered section of Kashmir have been engaged in a violent struggle against New Delhi's governance, with a significant portion of the local Muslim population rallying behind the rebels' aspirations for unification of the region, either under Pakistani oversight or through independence.
India, however, asserts that the militancy in Kashmir is a result of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, a claim that Pakistan refutes. Many Kashmiri residents view their armed struggle as a legitimate fight for freedom. The ongoing conflict has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands, encompassing civilians, rebels, and government forces alike.
The situation in Kashmir has become increasingly tense since 2019, when New Delhi revoked the region's semi-autonomous status. Following this decision, there has been a marked escalation in curtailing dissent, civil liberties, and media freedoms, alongside a ramp-up in counterinsurgency operations. While the Kashmir Valley has been a hotbed for the anti-India rebellion, remote areas in the Jammu region, such as Rajouri, Poonch, and Kathua, have also witnessed a rise in lethal attacks against Indian troops in recent years. Reports indicate that at least 60 soldiers have lost their lives in these incidents.
