Indian captain, fighter killed in IIJO&K clashes

Thousands of additional troops, drones and sniffer dogs have been deployed in the mountainous terrain

By AFP
August 15, 2024
Indian security force personnel patrol in Srinagar, Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). — Reuters/File
Indian security force personnel patrol in Srinagar, Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). — Reuters/File

SRINAGAR: An Indian army captain and a fighter were killed in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday.

The Indian army, in a post on social media platform X, offered its “deepest condolences” over the death of the officer.

Police said in a statement that during the ongoing operation, a gunman was killed.

Gun battles erupted last Tuesday in forests near the tourist resort of Patni Top. Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called a meeting with army, security, and intelligence chiefs on Wednesday after the latest clashes in Jammu, which had been relatively peaceful for the past two decades.

Thousands of additional troops, drones and sniffer dogs have been deployed in the mountainous terrain, where new army posts are being set up. The fighting comes as the region prepares for the expected announcement of the first local assembly elections in a decade.