Indian security forces clashed with suspected rebels in Indian-administered Kashmir, resulting in the deaths of multiple fighters just days after militants killed two members of a government-backed militia, the Village Defense Group, in the Kishtwar district, according to the Indian military.
Two separate gun battles erupted on Friday, with one taking place in the Chaas area of the Kishtwar district in the Jammu region and another in Baramulla, north of Srinagar, the capital of the disputed territory. The armed group known as Kashmir Tigers took responsibility for the earlier militia killings via a social media post. Tensions have heightened in the area as this violence follows a series of attacks over recent months, intensifying a decades-long conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives.
Separatist groups in Kashmir have long advocated for either independence from India or unification with Pakistan, and many Muslim Kashmiris support their goals. Indian authorities have accused Pakistan of backing and supplying these rebels with arms, a claim Pakistan denies. Both nations claim full sovereignty over the Himalayan region but currently govern only parts of it, leading to two wars and continuous strife in the region.
Violence has escalated since October, including a recent grenade attack in a Srinagar market that left 12 injured. Last week, an Indian military convoy was attacked, resulting in multiple deaths, followed by clashes at a construction site.
The ongoing clashes come as Kashmir’s newly elected regional assembly passed a resolution urging the Indian government to restore partial autonomy for the region, which was revoked in 2019 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration. The decision stripped Kashmir of its special status under Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, leading to a crackdown on dissent and a prolonged communications blackout.
New Delhi responded to the assembly’s request with a firm stance against reinstating Article 370. “No power in the world can restore Article 370 in Kashmir,” Modi said in a recent statement. Jammu and Kashmir’s Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, however, condemned the recent attacks and called for tighter security measures.