Kashmir: Fear in Jammu and Kashmir after long armed clash on LoC
There is an atmosphere of fear in the region after the long armed clashes in the Poonch and Rajouri districts near the Line of Control that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan and civilian casualties in the Kashmir Valley.
As of mid-October this year, 31 people had been killed by gunmen, including half a dozen non-Kashmiri laborers, four Kashmiri Pandits, a Sikh female teacher, and 20 local Muslim citizens, according to police. In addition, two civilians, including a woman, were killed in the clashes.
Following the wave of violence in the Valley and border tensions, Indian opposition parties and local political circles have started criticizing the Indian government, saying that the end of Kashmir's semi-autonomy was the solution to the Kashmir issue. And it was said that everything was fine now.
Indian Foreign Office spokesman Arindam Bagchi has blamed Pakistan for the escalating violence. "We are concerned about cross-border terrorism on the part of Pakistan," he said in a statement.
For the past ten days, the Indian Army and paramilitary forces have been searching for militants who have carried out two consecutive attacks in Bhimber Gali, Dera Ki Gali, Bhatt Durian and Chamrial sectors near the border in Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu province. Nine Indian soldiers, including officers, were killed. However, Rajouri and Poonch Range DIG Vivek Gupta confirmed that the army has not yet confronted the armed attackers.
Military officials claim that two months ago, about ten armed militants from the Pakistani-administered region crossed the Line of Control and planned the attack, with some locals assisting them in transportation. Several locals, including a woman, were detained and interrogated.
A large area of Rajouri and Poonch adjoining the LoC was cordoned off and traffic on the highway leading to Jammu from both the districts was suspended.
Lt. Col. Anand, a spokesman for the 16th Corps of the Indian Army based in Jammu, has denied reports that the army is now fighting militants following last week's attacks.
"So far no one was able to send in the perfect solution, which is not strange," he said.
Commenting on the reports of sporadic firing at the scene, Col Anand said, "We call it probing fire. Could be
With the help of the local administration, people have been told to stay indoors and cattle have also been recalled from the fields near the border, he said. The military says it is the deadliest crash in the region in 17 years.
The large-scale operation in the border districts of Rajouri and Poonch has also affected local trade and agricultural activities. Muhammad Jabbar, a resident of Poonch, told the janisports by phone: "Ever since the ceasefire was re-enforced, our lives have become easier. Now even farming was going on near the border, this incident has frightened us again.
Muhammad Ansar, a resident of Poonch's Nad Gali, where the deadly clashes took place, told the janisports. online by phone: But it's harvest season, we're losing a lot. Shelling is taking place every day and drones are also dropping bombs in the suspected forest area. We feel like a war is going on. "
Tensions between Indian and Pakistani forces on the Line of Control (LoC), which divides Kashmir between the two countries, have been simmering for years, but in February this year, the two countries agreed to abide by the 2003 ceasefire agreement. did it.
A few months ago, the Indian military leadership acknowledged that not a single incident of armed incursion had taken place since February. Scared Meanwhile, traffic on the highways from Poonch and Rajouri to Jammu was suspended to continue the operation uninterrupted, and a search operation is underway in forested as well as populated areas.
Police and paramilitary forces have also killed 14 alleged militants during operations in various areas in the Kashmir Valley over the past few weeks. The latest clash took place on Saturday in the Pampura area of south Kashmir, where a residential house where alleged militants were trapped was blown up. Two alleged militants and a soldier were killed in a clash in the southern town of Shopian on Wednesday.
The situation in the whole of Jammu and Kashmir is dire, with the killing of civilians, members of the minority community, and the killing of non-Kashmiri laborers or shopkeepers in violence across the borders as well as in Kashmir's cities and towns.
Hundreds of suspects were arrested following the killings of members of the minority sect, but two more non-Kashmiris were killed on Saturday evening. Observers say the cantonments are known for the extensive deployment of Poonch and Rajouri troops, and the local population does not support the militants.
Probably a factor as to why they're doing so poorly. Police and the military say it's not clear whether they helped the attackers voluntarily or were forced to do so. Meanwhile, Indian Army Chief General MM Nirvana reached Poonch on Tuesday where he held talks with army officers. Indian Home Minister Amit Shah is visiting Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday to review the security situation in the region.
It should be noted that Amit Shah is coming to Kashmir for the first time after announcing the end of Jammu and Kashmir's semi-autonomy in the Indian Parliament on August 5, 2019.